There's no better way to spread the word throughout your school about the dangers of prescription drug abuse than to hold an assembly that everyone can attend. Here, your peers, teachers, and administrators can come together to voice their concerns about prescription drug abuse and address what steps the school can take as a whole to prevent it.

Here's what you'll need:

• Friends and fellow classmates
• A great location
• Banners, posters, or flyers to advertise the assembly to your school

Here's how to do it:

• Gather a group of friends and classmates who feel as passionately as you do about spreading the word on prescription drug abuse prevention.
• Recruit a drug abuse prevention expert to speak. Perhaps he or she can bring someone who has beaten an addiction to prescription drugs to discuss it firsthand.
• Talk to your teachers or school administrators about securing a space where you can hold your assembly. Make sure the size is appropriate: if you are holding an assembly for the whole school, ask about using the auditorium or gym. If your assembly is for smaller classes, a classroom should work great. Discuss an appropriate time and date during which to hold the assembly.
• Confirm the date, time, and place in writing with your guest speakers. Make sure they can be there!
• Work with your teachers to spread the word about this important assembly. If you can, talk to your school principal about making this a mandatory assembly for all students. Write a blurb for the school newsletter, or write something for someone to read during the morning announcements.
• Make sure that your advertisements are eye-grabbing by including attractive colors, images, interesting taglines, and more. Don't forget to include information about the assembly: who, what, when, where, why, and how.
• Arrange for someone to videotape the event if possible. Post the video on YouTube and link it to your school's Web site. Email the video to NIDA for it to be considered as a feature on the Sara Bellum Blog!