About Us

Stop Medicine Abuse is a prevention campaign working to alert parents and members of the community about the problem of teen abuse of over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicines containing dextromethorphan (DXM).

In 2004, national surveys began to track abuse of OTC cough medicine among teens. Experts predicted, “abuse among adolescents most likely will increase, as the drug is relatively easy to obtain and inexpensive. Moreover, adolescents perceive the risk in abuse the drug as low.”

This was a call to action.

To fight the potential rise of teen DXM abuse, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) launched the Five Moms: Stopping Cough Medicine Abuse initiative to raise awareness about teen DXM abuse and offer peer-to-peer guidance on how to prevent it. Following the success of the Five Moms campaign, CHPA created StopMedicineAbuse.org. The Stop Medicine Abuse campaign continues to provide valuable resources on preventing teen medicine abuse, among other risky behaviors.

About CHPA

Founded in 1881, CHPA represents the leading manufacturers of OTC medicines. CHPA and its members are involved in a multi-pronged effort to curb the abuse of OTC cough medicines containing DXM with the help of a host of partners. Included in those other concerned organizations are The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids and the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America.

In addition to preventing the abuse of OTC medicines, CHPA and its members also work to provide information on the safe and responsible use of medications through the CHPA Educational Foundation.

For more information on efforts regarding StopMedicineAbuse.org and CHPA’s medicine abuse prevention initiatives, contact:

Mike Tringale
Consumer Healthcare Products Association
1625 Eye Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20006
Phone: 202.429.3520
MTringale@chpa.org

Our Partners

Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America

The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) trains local grassroots groups in effective community problem-solving strategies, teaching them how to assess their local substance abuse-related problems and develop a comprehensive plan to address them. Today, CADCA is the nation’s leading drug abuse prevention organization in the nation, representing the interests of more than 5,000 community anti-drug coalitions in the country.

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Partnership to End Addiction

Partnership to End Addiction is a nonprofit committed to helping families struggling with their son’s or daughter’s substance use. The nonprofit empowers families with information, support and advice to get the help their loved one needs and deserves. At drugfree.org, parents can find evidence-based resources and connect to one-on-one personalized guidance to help address a substance use disorder within their family.

  • Parent Helpline:

    The Partnership’s Helpline staff are trained, caring, master’s-level specialists ready to help parents struggling with their child’s drug or alcohol use.

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  • Parent Coaching:

    Parent Coaching is a peer-to-peer program, where parents seeking help are paired with a specially trained parent volunteer who has traveled the same path of dealing with a child’s substance use.

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  • Help & Hope by Text:

    Help & Hope by Text is a customizable, mobile messaging initiative that provides ongoing support to parents who have a child struggling with heroin and other opioids.

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D.A.R.E.

D.A.R.E. America is a police officer-led series of classroom lessons that teaches children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live drug and violence-free lives.

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National Association of School Nurses

The National Association of School Nurses is a nonprofit specialty nursing organization, organized in 1968 and incorporated in 1977, representing school nurses exclusively. NASN has over 14,000 members and 51 affiliates, including the District of Columbia and overseas. The mission of the NASN is to improve the health and educational success of children and youth by developing and providing leadership to advance the school nursing practice.

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