About 70 percent of parents and children report exposure to one or more messages through all media channels every week.
	In a recent study, the 4 out of 5 of parents exposed to substance abuse messages by the media are more willing to talk to their children about associated risks.
	64% of parents report an awareness of weekly media messages about substance abuse and addiction.
	8th and 10th graders reporting the use of any illicit drug in the prior 12 months declined significantly from 2001 to 2002.
	8th, 10th and 12th grade students in U.S. schools indicate that use of marijuana, some club drugs, cigarettes and alcohol decreased from 2001 to 2002, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
	The use of MDMA (Ecstasy) among 8th, 10th and 12th graders showed statistically significant declines in 2002 for the first time after rising rapidly in recent years.
	Marijuana use in the past year decreased significantly in 2002 among 10th graders, reaching its lowest rate since 1995.
	Marijuana use by 8th graders has declined in recent years and is now at its lowest level since 1994.
	Nonmedical use of the new narcotic painkiller Oxycontin in the past year was reported by 4.0 percent of 12th graders, and Vicodin use in the same time period was reported by 9.6 percent of 12th graders.
	There were significant decreases in alcohol consumption by 8th and 10th graders in 2002, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
	Lifetime prevalence of smoking fell between 2001 and 2002 by between 4 and 5 percentage points in each grade, making clear that teenage cigarette smoking is now declining sharply.
	In 2002, Hallucinogen use in the lifetime, past year, and past month declined for 12th graders, and past year use was down among 10th graders.
	Perceived risk and disapproval of trying marijuana once or twice increased among 10th graders, but among 12th graders perceived risk of smoking marijuana regularly declined in 2002.
	Disapproval of MDMA (Ecstasy) use increased significantly from 2001 to 2002 among students in high school students.
	MDMA is a synthetic, psychoactive drug with both stimulant (amphetamine-like) and hallucinogenic (LSD-like) properties. Street names for MDMA include Ecstasy, Adam, XTC, hug, beans, and love drug.
	Recent research links MDMA use to long-term damage to those parts of the brain critical to thought, memory, and pleasure.
	The “date rape drugs” GHB, Rohypnol, and ketamine are predominantly central nervous system depressants. Because they are often colorless, tasteless, and odorless, they can be added to beverages and ingested unknowingly.
	Since about 1990, the “date rape drug” GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate) has been abused in the U.S. for euphoric, sedative, and anabolic (body building) effects.
	Rohypnol, a trade name for flunitrazepam, has been of particular concern for the last few years because of its abuse in date rape.
	Certain doses of ketamine, an animal tranquilizer called “Special K” or “K” in the club scene, can cause dream-like states and hallucinations, and it has become common in club and rave scenes and has been used as a date rape drug.
	There are countless street terms for marijuana including pot, herb, weed, grass, widow, ganja, and hash, as well as terms derived from trademarked varieties of cannabis, such as Bubble Gum®, Northern Lights®, Juicy Fruit®, Afghani #1®, and a number of Skunk varieties.
	In 2001, over 12 million Americans age 12 and older used marijuana at least once in the month prior to being surveyed.
	One study has indicated that a user’s risk of heart attack more than quadruples in the first hour after smoking marijuana. The researchers suggest that such an effect might occur from marijuana’s effects on blood pressure and heart rate and reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of blood.
	Some of marijuana's adverse health effects may occur because THC impairs the immune system’s ability to fight off infectious diseases and cancer.
	Depression, anxiety, and personality disturbances are all associated with marijuana use.
	Students who smoke marijuana get lower grades and are less likely to graduate from high school, compared to their non-smoking peers.
	The non-medical use of prescription drugs is a serious public health concern. Nonmedical use of prescription drugs like opioids, central nervous system (CNS) depressants, and stimulants can lead to abuse and addiction, characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use.
	The misuse of prescribed medications may be the most common form of drug abuse among the elderly. Older people are prescribed medications about three times more frequently than the general population, and have poorer compliance with directions for use.
	Methadone, a synthetic opioid that blocks the effects of heroin and other opioids, eliminates withdrawal symptoms, and relieves drug craving. It has been used for over 30 years to successfully treat people addicted to opioids.
	At this time, there are no proven medications for the treatment of stimulant (such as amphetamine/meth) addiction. Antidepressants, however, may be used to manage the symptoms of depression that can accompany early abstinence from stimulants.
	Anabolic-androgenic steroids are man-made substances related to male sex hormones. "Anabolic" refers to muscle-building, and "androgenic" refers to increased masculine characteristics. "Steroids" refers to the class of drugs.
	The major side effects from abusing anabolic steroids can include liver tumors and cancer, jaundice (yellowish pigmentation of skin, tissues, and body fluids), fluid retention, high blood pressure, increases in LDL (bad cholesterol), and decreases in HDL (good cholesterol). Other side effects include kidney tumors, severe acne, and trembling.
	There were 601,776 estimated drug-related Emergency Room episodes in 2000 and, among these, there were 1,100,539 drug mentions. (More than one drug may be in a person's system at the time of admission.)
	Emergency Room visits involving the club drug MDMA (Ecstasy) increased 58 percent in the U.S., from 2,850 visits in 1999 to 4,511 in 2000.
	Today, an estimated 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV/AIDS. Of these, 2 to 3 million people are injecting drug users. In the United States, an estimated one-third of HIV/AIDS cases are related to injecting drug use.
	Behavior associated with drug abuse is now the single largest factor in the spread of HIV infection in the United States.
	Half of all new infections with HIV now occur among injecting drug users.
	Most newly HIV-infected injection drug users live in northeastern cities from Boston to Washington, D.C., as well as in Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
	It is clear from research that drug abuse treatment is a proven means of preventing the spread of HIV and AIDS, especially when combined with prevention and community-based outreach programs for at-risk people.
	Drug treatment programs help reduce the spread of other blood-borne infections, including hepatitis B and C viruses.
	Injecting drug users (IDUs) can contract hepatitis C by sharing contaminated needles and other drug injection paraphernalia. One recent study found that 64.7 percent of IDUs who had been injecting for 1 year or less were already infected with the virus.
	Scientific research also shows that aggression and other psychiatric side effects may result from abuse of anabolic steroids.
	Research also indicates that some users might turn to other drugs to alleviate some of the negative effects of anabolic steroids. For example, a study of 227 men admitted in 1999 to a private treatment center for dependence on heroin or other opioids found that 9.3 percent had abused anabolic steroids before trying any other illicit drug. Of these 9.3 percent, 86 percent first used opioids to counteract insomnia and irritability resulting from the anabolic steroids.
	Most anabolic steroids users are male, and among male students, in the past year 2.2 percent of 8th graders, 2.8 percent of 10th graders, and 2.5 percent of 12th graders reported use of these substances.
	People with alcohol use disorders are more likely than the general population to contract HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).
	Rates of injection drug use are high among alcoholics in treatment, and increasing levels of alcohol ingestion are associated with greater injection drug–related risk behaviors, including needle sharing.
	Some people report deliberately using alcohol during sexual encounters to provide an excuse for socially unacceptable behavior or to reduce their conscious awareness of risk.
	Alcohol increases susceptibility to some infections that can occur as complications of AIDS. Infections associated with both alcohol and AIDS include tuberculosis; pneumonia caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae; and the viral disease hepatitis C, a leading cause of death among people with HIV. Alcohol may also increase the severity of AIDS-related brain damage, which is characterized in its severest form by profound dementia and a high death rate.
	Studies show that decreasing alcohol use among HIV patients not only reduces the medical and psychiatric consequences associated with alcohol consumption but also decreases other drug use and HIV transmission. Alcohol and other drug abuse treatment can be considered primary HIV prevention as well.
	Alcohol abuse has been associated with longer delays in seeking treatment for HIV and AIDS.
	The first PRISM Awards ceremony was held in 1997 at the Beverly Hilton hotel.
	The PRISM Awards’ first national television airing was in 2000.
	The reach of PRISM-honored productions is over ONE BILLION, based on initial gross impressions—that’s over 1,000,000,000 viewings of accurate depictions of substance abuse and addiction!
	Jamie Lee Curtis and Richard Lewis, who starred together on the CBS sitcom Anything But Love, were reunited at the 6th Annual PRISM Awards, which they co-hosted together.
	The PRISM Awards is a concept of the Entertainment Industries Council, Inc., known in Hollywood as EIC. Visit www.eiconline.org to see what screenwriters, producers and other entertainment creators use for their information on health and social issues.
	All PRISM honored productions are scrutinized for accuracy by leading scientists and researchers in the field of substance abuse and addiction. PRISM Award winners are committed to quality!
	Everybody Loves Raymond star Doris Roberts made a surprise appearance at the PRISM Awards in 2001.
	Media sensation Penelope Cruz joined Amanda Demme in a tribute to the late Jonathan Demme, who directed the PRISM winning feature film Blow.
	The PRISM Awards television special debuts each year at a special Capitol Hill Premiere in Washington, D.C. Many of your local Senators and Congressional Representatives support the PRISM Awards!
	The PRISM Awards incorporated a new music category in 2002, awarding winner Ozzy Osbourne for his strikingly honest song, Junkie.
	The PRISM Awards have been held at the Beverly Hillton, the Beverly Hills Hotel, CBS Television City and the trendy Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre in Hollywood.
	Use the forums above to discuss your favorite PRISM winning productions, or to suggest those that you think are PRISM worthy.
	Many writers use EIC’s depiction books as a resource for information on substance abuse and addiction, and about gun violence, safety and injury prevention. Check out the online versions at www.eiconline.org!
	In 2001, EIC responded to the Sept. 11 attacks on our country by publishing The New Normal, a depiction booklet for creators addressing terrorism and homeland security. Check out The New Normal at www.eiconline.org.
	Val Kilmer, Noah Wyle, Bernie Mac and Neve Campbell were honored at the 7th Annual PRISM Awards in 2003 for their outstanding performances depicting substance use or addiction.
	Each September during National Recovery Month, copies of the PRISM Awards are distributed to nearly 4,000 addiction treatment centers nationwide, along with a guide to prompt open and frank discussion about treatment and recovery.
	You can support the PRISM Awards by contacting your local stations and legislative representatives and letting them know how important it is to have a televised awards show that means something.
	The PRISM Awards do not take a moral ground to award productions that are “right” or “wrong.” We honor accuracy as a means of education, without any personal bias.
	Visit the PRISM store for official PRISM Awards T-shirts, baseball shirts, jackets and caps.
	EIC is a nonprofit organization founded by the entertainment industry to bring the power and influence of the entertainment industry to bear on health and social issues.
	2003-2004 marks EIC’s 20th Anniversary celebration! Stay tuned to www.prismawards.com for coming events.
	The 7th Annual PRISM Awards was broadcast on FX on May 25, 2003. Call or e-mail FX at user@fxnetworks.com for information on a repeat airing of the PRISM Awards television special.