Anti-Smoking Group 'Truth Initiative' Takes Aim at Opioid Epidemic
*By Christian Smith*
When the anti-substance abuse platform "Truth Initiative" began in 2000, the smoking rate for teens was 23 percent ー almost two decades later, it stands at 5 percent.
And now, after major inroads with young smokers, the organization is shifting its efforts to another pressing danger facing teens, according to its managing director.
"Opioid dependence can happen in just five days," Mary Dominguez said Monday in an interview on Cheddar.
Truth Initiative recently launched the second phase of its "The Truth About Opioids" campaign, aimed at preventing opioid addiction among teens and young adults.
The organization released a new video that shows a 26-year-old's real-life experience as she undergoes opioid addiction treatment and experiences withdrawal.
Dominguez said the video, however jarring, is meant to highlight that opioid addiction can happen to anyone.
"A lot of people might go to the doctor and get a 30-day prescription for it and not know what could happen to them, and what that could lead to," she said.
In 2016, 2.5 million young adults ages 18 to 25 reported misusing an opioid in the past year, according to statistics from Truth Initiative.
Dominguez said her organization hopes to replicate its success with curbing teen smoking.
"We felt like we owed it to our audience to talk about \[opioid addiction\] with them and to let them know what the facts are about it."
Truth Initiative collaborated with Ad Council and the Office of National Drug Control Policy to create The Truth About Opioids campaign, which has received prime advertising space, thanks to partnerships with major companies like Google ($GOOGL) and NBCUniversal.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/truth-initiative-launches-new-campaign-to-prevent-opioid-addiction).
Here are your Need2Know stories for Tuesday June 7, 2022:
Today, voters head to the polls for primary elections in California, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota.
Senator Joe Manchin said he would support raising age requirements for gun purchases to 21. Manchin told CNN he also "wouldn't have a problem looking at" a ban on AR-15 assault rifles.
Meanwhile, five players on the Tampa Bay Rays roster opted not to wear a patch added to its uniforms intended to celebrate pride month.
Russia resumed attacks on the Ukrainian capital for the first time in months after vowing to focus its resources on the eastern region known as 'the Donbas.' Cheddar News Speaks with national security and foreign policy analyst Ari Aramesh on the latest developments surrounding Ukraine.
U.S. stocks close Monday's session slight higher Monday as investors continue to monitor whether the economy will successfully avoid a recession. For many, fears over inflation and rising interest rates. Tommy Mancuso, president and co-founder of the Bad Investment Company, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Bill Nye the Science Guy is back but on an even smaller screen. America’s favorite science teacher has racked up more than eight million followers on TikTok, and he joined Cheddar News to talk about his success on the platform, having fun but also being serious about scientific topics like tackling climate change, and his newest hosting project "The End is Nye," a streaming show on Peacock that examines disasters — both natural and manmade. "There are six episodes. We have big disasters. Things go terribly wrong, and then we show you how things could have gone right," he explained.
Cheddar Politics takes a look at the Biden Administration's effort to center inflation concerns in the White House's economic policies. Reuters White House reporter Jeff Mason joins Cheddar News to discuss what the White House is doing and what more it can do to help fix economic issues.
In another round of sweeping sanctions against Russia for its war on Ukraine, European Union leaders have agreed to ban the vast majority of Russian oil by the end of the year. But, the embargo covers only Russian oil brought in by sea, allowing an exemption for fuel imported via pipeline. Christine McDaniel, a senior fellow with the Mercatus Center, discusses just how significant this deal is, and what impact it might have on the global energy sector.
Catching you up on what you need to know on Monday, June 6, 2022, a string of mass shootings across the country this weekend, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces a no-confidence vote this morning, and Tropical Storm Alex floods Miami.
U.S. stocks closed Friday's session near session to cap off the week in the red. The disappointing end to the day and week follows a lukewarm May jobs report from the Labor Department and comes as investors continue to eye future rate hikes from the Federal Reserve. Callie Cox, U.S. Investment Analyst for eToro, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
