Frequently Asked Questions
Our positions mirror those of the Partnership for Drug Free Kids which include, but are not limited to:
Does Not One More Alabama (NOMA) receive support from pharmaceutical companies?
Our work is driven by our mission to help families whose son or daughter is struggling with substance use, wherever they fall on the continuum. We do not request or accept funds to do work that falls outside of our mission. Our work is not dictated or influenced by any financial contributor, nor do we answer to any funder or special interest in this capacity. As we address today's opioid and prescription drug abuse crisis, many would agree that the pharmaceutical industry has a civic and humanitarian obligation to help prevent diversion and misuse of their product. Pharmaceutical companies that do not contribute to independently operated prevention initiatives and campaigns that drive down prescription drug misuse and abuse should be subject to significant public criticism.
Restricted Funds vs. Project Funds vs. Unrestricted Funds
No outside company has influence over NOMA’s mission or direction. The bulk of donor support we receive is in the form of "unrestricted funds." This means that the funder has no involvement in the development or approval of NOMA’s content, strategic communications or tactics.
Unrestricted Support Helps Fund Resources for Parents and Families
NOMA utilizes a variety of unrestricted donor funds to provide resources and direct services free of charge to families who need them most. This includes one-on-one peer support from parent coaches, where we pair families seeking additional guidance and support with a trained parent volunteer who has also traveled the path of dealing with a child's substance use. We also make available The Parent’s 20 Minute Guide – A guide for parents about how to help their children change their substance use.
Do you support prescription drug monitoring programs?
Yes. Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) are an important component in addressing the medicine abuse epidemic. We support the position of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy on the need for PDMPs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with those programs interconnected to be able to share data, thereby providing a more effective means of combating drug diversion and drug abuse nationwide. We also believe that states need to do more to ensure that these programs are adequately funded and that medical groups should do more to encourage prescribers to use them. To learn more about the epidemic of medicine abuse and how you can help, visit the Medicine Abuse Project.
Do you support Good Samaritan laws?
Yes. Accidental drug overdoses are now the leading cause of accidental death in the United States. Some of these deaths could be prevented if the patient received medical care in a timely manner. NOMA supports policies like Good Samaritan laws that encourage people to call 911 when someone is overdosing. It is our hope that every state enacts legislation that provides limited legal immunity for minor drug law violations for those who call for help as well as the person who is overdosing.
What are your views on naloxone? Should it be widely available?
Yes. Naloxone, also known as NARCAN, acts to displace opioids from receptors in the brain and allows slowed breathing to resume. A dose of naloxone can reverse the effects of heroin or prescription opiates and can save the life of an individual who is overdosing on one of these substances. We believe that all first responders should carry naloxone and be trained on how to use it. We also support efforts to make naloxone more widely available in the community in order to prevent as many overdoses as possible.
Do you support medication-assisted treatment?
Yes. Medication-assisted treatment is the use of medication, along with therapy and other supports within evidence-based treatment, to help address issues related to opioid dependence, including withdrawal, cravings and relapse prevention. Medication-assisted treatment can help a person stop thinking constantly about the problem drug and help reduce cravings and withdrawal.
What is your position on the need for education for doctors who prescribe scheduled prescription medication for their patients?
Our view is that medical schools do not adequately educate doctors about pain or addiction. Action, via an education requirement, needs to be taken to help physicians understand how to adequately prescribe medication for those in need, yet turn away "doctor shoppers" seeking to misuse pain medication. What's more, because 70 percent of those who misuse prescription pain medications report obtaining these drugs from friends or family, it is crucial that health professionals prescribe appropriately.
What is your position on legalization of marijuana?
As the country debates new policies on marijuana - medicalization, decriminalization and legalization - none address our sole concern: the health and well-being of young people. We recognize that the status quo is changing. We do not believe that any drug use, including alcohol, should be treated as primarily a law enforcement issue, but rather a health issue. Further, we acknowledge the discriminatory way in which marijuana prohibition has been implemented in the United States.
NOMA supports what is in the best interest of families and their children’s health, and the use of marijuana or any substance in adolescence is an unhealthy behavior for kids. Our national prevention and treatment infrastructure has been decimated over the course of the past decade. We must rebuild those systems if we are to limit the long-term harm that marijuana and other drugs can cause to kids who use any of these substances in adolescence.
This reality causes us to remain concerned about the introduction of any system that could result in an increase in teen marijuana use - especially regular use. Currently, 44 percent of teens report having used marijuana. Our goal is to keep that number from rising and reduce the number of kids who will use in the future. We firmly believe that laws should reflect the clear expectation of the more than 90 percent of parents (including the vast majority of parents who support legalization) that kids under 21 be protected from the mass availability and marketing of marijuana. This includes the packaging of “edible” products, like brownies, candy and cookies, that appeal to kids. Looking to our national experience with alcohol and tobacco products, we have deep concerns about the impact of marijuana advertising and marketing on youth and believe that far more attention should be paid to this issue.
We also need to accelerate credible, scientific research to explore whether any potential medical benefits of marijuana outweigh its risks. Significant health risks come with the manufacture and sale of medicine that has not been scientifically tested for efficacy and safety. If it is to be considered medicine, the Food and Drug Administration should test it to ensure its safety and efficacy as it does with all other medicine.
Moving forward, we will monitor legalization as it continues to unfold in many states and evaluate the impact on the health of our kids. We will push for effective prevention programs to be funded by revenue that comes from legalization. We will equip parents with the information they need on the very real health risks of early use and help them have factual, frank conversations with their kids in this changing landscape.
How are you addressing the country's opioid epidemic?
We provide parents with information, support for their family and information about treatment resources for their loved one.
What are your views around the language of addiction?
Addiction is a disease, and it's important that we use language that frames it as a health issue and shows respect to people who are struggling with an addiction and to their families who are impacted. A person shouldn't be defined or labeled by his or her disease or illness. For example: Instead of calling someone a "diabetic," it's preferable to use person-first language and say, "someone with diabetes." The same goes with the word "addict." Saying "a person with addiction" is much more compassionate. We have a choice when we communicate. We can use words that perpetuate the negative stigma around substance use - words that label people with an addiction in a negative, shameful and judgmental way. Or we can use words that are compassionate, supportive and respectful - words that helps others understand substance use disorder as the health issue that it is.
Our positions mirror those of the Partnership for Drug Free Kids which include, but are not limited to:
Does Not One More Alabama (NOMA) receive support from pharmaceutical companies?
Our work is driven by our mission to help families whose son or daughter is struggling with substance use, wherever they fall on the continuum. We do not request or accept funds to do work that falls outside of our mission. Our work is not dictated or influenced by any financial contributor, nor do we answer to any funder or special interest in this capacity. As we address today's opioid and prescription drug abuse crisis, many would agree that the pharmaceutical industry has a civic and humanitarian obligation to help prevent diversion and misuse of their product. Pharmaceutical companies that do not contribute to independently operated prevention initiatives and campaigns that drive down prescription drug misuse and abuse should be subject to significant public criticism.
Restricted Funds vs. Project Funds vs. Unrestricted Funds
No outside company has influence over NOMA’s mission or direction. The bulk of donor support we receive is in the form of "unrestricted funds." This means that the funder has no involvement in the development or approval of NOMA’s content, strategic communications or tactics.
Unrestricted Support Helps Fund Resources for Parents and Families
NOMA utilizes a variety of unrestricted donor funds to provide resources and direct services free of charge to families who need them most. This includes one-on-one peer support from parent coaches, where we pair families seeking additional guidance and support with a trained parent volunteer who has also traveled the path of dealing with a child's substance use. We also make available The Parent’s 20 Minute Guide – A guide for parents about how to help their children change their substance use.
Do you support prescription drug monitoring programs?
Yes. Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) are an important component in addressing the medicine abuse epidemic. We support the position of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy on the need for PDMPs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with those programs interconnected to be able to share data, thereby providing a more effective means of combating drug diversion and drug abuse nationwide. We also believe that states need to do more to ensure that these programs are adequately funded and that medical groups should do more to encourage prescribers to use them. To learn more about the epidemic of medicine abuse and how you can help, visit the Medicine Abuse Project.
Do you support Good Samaritan laws?
Yes. Accidental drug overdoses are now the leading cause of accidental death in the United States. Some of these deaths could be prevented if the patient received medical care in a timely manner. NOMA supports policies like Good Samaritan laws that encourage people to call 911 when someone is overdosing. It is our hope that every state enacts legislation that provides limited legal immunity for minor drug law violations for those who call for help as well as the person who is overdosing.
What are your views on naloxone? Should it be widely available?
Yes. Naloxone, also known as NARCAN, acts to displace opioids from receptors in the brain and allows slowed breathing to resume. A dose of naloxone can reverse the effects of heroin or prescription opiates and can save the life of an individual who is overdosing on one of these substances. We believe that all first responders should carry naloxone and be trained on how to use it. We also support efforts to make naloxone more widely available in the community in order to prevent as many overdoses as possible.
Do you support medication-assisted treatment?
Yes. Medication-assisted treatment is the use of medication, along with therapy and other supports within evidence-based treatment, to help address issues related to opioid dependence, including withdrawal, cravings and relapse prevention. Medication-assisted treatment can help a person stop thinking constantly about the problem drug and help reduce cravings and withdrawal.
What is your position on the need for education for doctors who prescribe scheduled prescription medication for their patients?
Our view is that medical schools do not adequately educate doctors about pain or addiction. Action, via an education requirement, needs to be taken to help physicians understand how to adequately prescribe medication for those in need, yet turn away "doctor shoppers" seeking to misuse pain medication. What's more, because 70 percent of those who misuse prescription pain medications report obtaining these drugs from friends or family, it is crucial that health professionals prescribe appropriately.
What is your position on legalization of marijuana?
As the country debates new policies on marijuana - medicalization, decriminalization and legalization - none address our sole concern: the health and well-being of young people. We recognize that the status quo is changing. We do not believe that any drug use, including alcohol, should be treated as primarily a law enforcement issue, but rather a health issue. Further, we acknowledge the discriminatory way in which marijuana prohibition has been implemented in the United States.
NOMA supports what is in the best interest of families and their children’s health, and the use of marijuana or any substance in adolescence is an unhealthy behavior for kids. Our national prevention and treatment infrastructure has been decimated over the course of the past decade. We must rebuild those systems if we are to limit the long-term harm that marijuana and other drugs can cause to kids who use any of these substances in adolescence.
This reality causes us to remain concerned about the introduction of any system that could result in an increase in teen marijuana use - especially regular use. Currently, 44 percent of teens report having used marijuana. Our goal is to keep that number from rising and reduce the number of kids who will use in the future. We firmly believe that laws should reflect the clear expectation of the more than 90 percent of parents (including the vast majority of parents who support legalization) that kids under 21 be protected from the mass availability and marketing of marijuana. This includes the packaging of “edible” products, like brownies, candy and cookies, that appeal to kids. Looking to our national experience with alcohol and tobacco products, we have deep concerns about the impact of marijuana advertising and marketing on youth and believe that far more attention should be paid to this issue.
We also need to accelerate credible, scientific research to explore whether any potential medical benefits of marijuana outweigh its risks. Significant health risks come with the manufacture and sale of medicine that has not been scientifically tested for efficacy and safety. If it is to be considered medicine, the Food and Drug Administration should test it to ensure its safety and efficacy as it does with all other medicine.
Moving forward, we will monitor legalization as it continues to unfold in many states and evaluate the impact on the health of our kids. We will push for effective prevention programs to be funded by revenue that comes from legalization. We will equip parents with the information they need on the very real health risks of early use and help them have factual, frank conversations with their kids in this changing landscape.
How are you addressing the country's opioid epidemic?
We provide parents with information, support for their family and information about treatment resources for their loved one.
What are your views around the language of addiction?
Addiction is a disease, and it's important that we use language that frames it as a health issue and shows respect to people who are struggling with an addiction and to their families who are impacted. A person shouldn't be defined or labeled by his or her disease or illness. For example: Instead of calling someone a "diabetic," it's preferable to use person-first language and say, "someone with diabetes." The same goes with the word "addict." Saying "a person with addiction" is much more compassionate. We have a choice when we communicate. We can use words that perpetuate the negative stigma around substance use - words that label people with an addiction in a negative, shameful and judgmental way. Or we can use words that are compassionate, supportive and respectful - words that helps others understand substance use disorder as the health issue that it is.
