According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 24,000 people die annually due to a prescription opioid or sedative overdose. This number of overdose deaths is now greater than heroin and cocaine combined. In 2014, the U.S. consumed more than 80% of the global supply of opioids. The CDC estimated that nonmedical use of prescription painkillers costs health insurers up to $72 billion annually and opioids generated $11 billion in revenue for pharmaceutical companies.

3rd Millennium Classrooms has released the NEW Other Drugs intervention program focusing on opiates, stimulants, sedatives, ecstasy, and prescription drug misuse. Our target audience is the individual charged with an alcohol or drug violation. The client begins this program by responding to a series of questions about their illicit drug or prescription drug use. Other Drugs is CONFIDENTIAL and the client is not required to share their personalized feedback.

One unique feature of the Other Drugs intervention is an optional Extended Intervention add-on that includes weekly contacts for up to eight weeks after completion of the Other Drugs module. This unique feature sends clients reminders about the goals they set during the program, and allows clients to report back on their progress. Strategies like this are widely used in healthcare settings to remind people about medications or appointments, and are just beginning to be used in criminal justice settings. In one recent study, probationers who chose to receive goals and reminders after completing a web-based program were twice as likely to initiate treatment and half as likely to be using drugs after two months. This means that giving people the opportunity to set specific goals, and reminding people about their goals, can help them to be successful. This strategy can also help probation agencies determine who is doing well, or who might be at risk of probation failure. Probation agencies can use the information to triage at-risk probationers to a higher level of service, before problems appear.