The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the DEA Educational Foundation, and Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, announced today the launch of the third annual Operation Prevention Video Challenge – a peer-to-peer platform for communicating messages about the dangers of opioid misuse.

An extension of Discovery Education and the DEA’s Operation Prevention program, the video challenge encourages teens to create a 30-60 second original public service announcement that alerts other students about the dangers of prescription opioid misuse and heroin use. Overall, the challenge aims to inspire teens to research the opioid epidemic, identify its widespread impact on the country and the substances’ harmful effects on the body, and start a social movement that encourages authentic dialogue about this critical issue. The top 10 finalist videos will be uploaded to operationprevention.com for a public vote to determine the People’s Choice winner. Winning PSAs will be featured on-air, across Discovery Education and DEA digital platforms, and on other social media platforms.

Prizes for winning submissions, include:

• 1st place: $10,000; 

• 2nd place: $5,000;

• 3rd place: $1,000; and

• People’s Choice: A VIP trip to Quantico, Virginia, for a tour of DEA training.

“Stopping drug abuse before it starts isn’t just the responsibility of education and prevention programs – it takes all of us, including the next generation of leaders, to make people and communities whole again,” said Sean Fearns, chief of community outreach, DEA. “Peer-to-peer education is uniquely impactful for teens, so we’re excited to continue promoting this video challenge to inspire new advocates for drug-free living.”

Last year’s winning PSA, titled Waiting to Die by Porter Christensen of Saint George, UT, was one of the hundreds of original submissions the challenge received. To view entries from finalists and winners of the previous Operation Prevention Video Challenges, visit: operationprevention.com/competition/video/archives/2018.

“The ‘Operation Prevention Video Challenge’ sparks peer-to-peer conversations, in classrooms, in homes and in neighborhoods nationwide, about the importance of kick-starting life-saving conversations to prevent heroin use and opioid misuse,” said Lori McFarling, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Discovery Education. “We are proud to support the DEA in their work to create a social movement that encourages a new era of empowered and educated young people using their voice to stem the tide of the epidemic.”

According to National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), more than 115 people in the United States die from opioid misuse every day. The Operation Prevention Video Challenge is launched at a time when prescription opioid misuse and heroin use have reached epidemic levels in the United States. Operation Prevention is a nationwide program that educates students about the science behind addiction, and its effects on the brain and body. Standards-aligned Operation Prevention interactive resources, available at no-cost, help promote lifesaving discussions in the home and classroom.

“Opioid addiction and substance abuse touches everyone and too often goes unrecognized as families, educators and communities are left to deal with the consequences on their own,” said Rodney Crouse, Guilford County Schools Educator from Trinity, N.C. “The ‘Operation Prevention’ Video Challenge presents a unique opportunity for my colleagues and I to acknowledge the epidemic’s impacts, while encouraging our students to part of the solution.”

The Operation Prevention Video Challenge opens today and will close on March 6, 2019. Public voting for the People’s Choice winner will take place April 11-25, 2019. United States high school students, ages 13 and older, can register and find more information about the challenge here.

Operation Prevention resources are free and accessible, and are available at operationprevention.com. Operation Prevention resources are also available through Discovery Education Streaming. For more information about Discovery Education’s digital content and professional development services, visit discoveryeducation.com. Stay connected with Discovery Education through social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest @DiscoveryEd.

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About the Drug Enforcement Administration:
The mission of the Drug Enforcement Administration is to enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States and bring to the criminal and civil justice system of the United States, or any other competent jurisdiction, those organizations and principal members of organizations, involved in the growing, manufacture, or distribution of controlled substances appearing in or destined for illicit traffic in the United States; and to recommend and support non-enforcement programs aimed at reducing the availability of illicit controlled substances on the domestic and international markets. The DEA encourages parents, along with their children, to educate themselves about the dangers of legal and illegal drugs by visiting DEA’s interactive websites at www.justthinktwice.gov, www.getsmartaboutdrugs.gov  and www.dea.gov.

About the DEA Educational Foundation:
Established in 2001, the DEA Educational Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to preventing drug abuse. The foundation supports the DEA through advocacy, outreach, and educational programs. Learn more at www.deaeducationalfoundation.org.

About Discovery Education: 
As the global leader in standards-based digital content for K-12 classrooms worldwide, Discovery Education is transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content, professional learning, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Serving 4.5 million educators and over 50 million students, Discovery Education’s services are available in approximately half of U.S. classrooms, 50 percent of all primary schools in the UK, and more than 50 countries around the globe. Inspired by the global media company Discovery, Inc., Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that increase academic achievement. Explore the future of education at DiscoveryEducation.com.

Contacts:
National Media Affairs, DEA
202-307-7977 phone

Charmion N. Kinder, Discovery Education
Charmion_Kinder@discovery.com
240-274-2173 phone

Discovery Education

Discovery Education

Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, innovative classroom tools, and corporate partnerships, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.

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