Engagement: Preventing drug abuse by empowering teenagers with the facts about drug abuse and addiction

A mission of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is to reduce drug abuse among youth by creating science-based educational materials through the NIDA for Teens (N4T) initiative. Components of N4T include the Sara Bellum Blog (SBB), National Drug Facts Week (NDFW), and the prescription drug abuse prevention program PEERx. The N4T Web site, SBB, NDFW, and PEERx present drug abuse information in a way that facilitates interactive engagement and encourages teenagers to learn drug facts through activities that empower them to be leaders in their communities. Central to these efforts is NIDA's emphasis on target audience feedback during all stages of materials development. NIDA's Teen Advisory Group (TAG), a group of teenagers from around the United States, meets regularly online to provide feedback on NIDA materials. The TAG provided insight during the development of PEERx's hallmark Choose Your Path videos, guided the selection of a logo and design for the refreshed N4T site, and offered NDFW event and promotion ideas. To receive input from another core audience, NIDA organized the Teachers/Educators Advisory Group (TEA), composed of educators who work with teens, to evaluate NIDA's educational materials. The TEA helped shape the refreshed N4T educators' resources Web page and provided insight into how SBB and N4T could be used in educational settings. Gathering input from teenagers and educators allows NIDA to create effective, customer-centric prevention materials. This session will highlight how to leverage target audience feedback to develop interactive materials that appeal to and engage teenagers and their influencers.