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Sample Press Release

A press release enables you to reach out to the media, including TV, radio, newspaper, magazine, and Internet journalists, to call attention to cough medicine abuse in your community and what’s being done to stop it. Writing and distributing an effective press release can garner valuable media coverage surrounding the work of your organization, as well as the issue of OTC cough medicine abuse as a whole.

Helpful Tips

Develop a “hook.” Sometimes repor ters need a “hook,” or captivating lead sentence, such as a specific event like a town hall meeting or the reading of a proclamation, to foster interest in a particular story.

In the following sample, we provide you with placeholders for information related to a specific event. If your release is not tied to an event, the importance of the topic may be enough to drive the story on its own. It is critical, however, that you communicate something newsworthy—such as a survey, local statistics, a new initiative, etc.—in order to attract reporters’ attention.

Stick to the formula. A press release structure is formulaic, with the “who, what, where, why, and when” in the opening paragraph. The closing paragraph is always a brief description about the organization sending the press release, also known as a boilerplate. The body of the release should provide detailed information about over-the-counter cough medicine abuse. If possible, there should be a total of one to three quotes from a representative range of people such as an advocacy organization’s director, parent, teenager, public official, or educator. Press releases ideally should be kept short, no more than two, double- or single-spaced pages.

Get your release in the hands of the right people. Put together a press list of local and regional news media outlets and reporters, complete with e-mail addresses, and fax and phone numbers. For example, a TV press list should include local network affiliates (e.g., CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX) and cable stations. (It is vital to find the right reporter or editor who covers stories about teenagers and drug abuse.)

Submitting Your Press Release

The press release should be sent the morning of or before your event, after the release of a media alert to let reporters know that news is coming. Please see the “Media Alert” in this toolkit for more information. If your release is not tied to an event, then there is no deadline. It should be noted, however, that weekly or monthly print publications go to press on a certain day, and your press release should be in their hands well before that deadline.

There are generally two ways to proceed once a press release is ready to be sent. Either you can call the reporter or editor first and let him or her know that the press release is coming, or you can send it first and then follow-up with a call. Nine times out of 10, if you send the press release first, the reporters will ask you to send it again. Be sure to verify how each media outlet prefers to receive press releases, usually by fax or e-mail.

Make a follow-up call. If you can’t reach the reporter or editor, you might have to leave a voicemail pitch, which is not as advantageous as speaking to a live person. Always be mindful of reporters’ busy schedules and deadlines.

For Immediate Release                                               
Contact:
Phone #:
E-mail:

 

COMMUNITY LEADERS MOBILIZE AT [TYPE OF EVENT, SUCH AS TOWN HALL MEETING, WORKSHOP, ETC.] AND TAKE ACTION AGAINST TEEN COUGH MEDICINE ABUSE

[NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION] Joins Nationwide Effort to Combat Substance Abuse Trend

CITY/STATE, DATE—[NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION], alongside other local organizations and concerned individuals, today announce a major community event to fight teen over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicine abuse. The event—[NAME IT AND PROVIDE DATE]—stems from a national cough medicine abuse education initiative, A Dose of Prevention: Stopping Cough Medicine Abuse Before It Starts, sponsored by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA).

[NAME OF EVENT] will take place on [DATE AND TIME] at [LOCATION]. [IF THERE ARE OTHER NOTEWORTHY PARTICIPANTS OR SPONSORS, NAME THEM HERE.]

It is estimated that 2.4 million teens—that’s one out of 10 kids nationwide from all backgrounds and geographic areas—say they have abused cough remedies to get high. According to 2008 data collected by the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s Monitoring the Future study, the intentional abuse of cough medicine among eighth, 10th, and 12th graders is at 3.6 percent, 5.3 percent, and 5.5 percent, respectively. Children abusing these otherwise safe and beneficial medications intentionally take huge amounts, as much as 25 to 50 times the recommended dose, to get high. At these extreme doses, side effects can be dangerous, including hallucinations, heart problems, vomiting, seizures, and even loss of consciousness.

“We have a big problem on our hands, but we know from prior experience that education is the most effective way to keep kids from abusing all types of substances, including OTC medicines,” said [NAME OF PERSON], [TITLE] of [ORGANIZATION NAME]. “We are committed to bringing together all constituencies in our community to prevent and stop this abuse. [NAME THE EVENT] is a great step in the right direction, and parents are certainly the key.”

 Most often, kids get their information via the Internet or by word-of-mouth. In fact, authorities say that DXM overdoses typically occur in clusters, as word of the drug spreads in a community’s middle and high schools.

The [NAME OF ORGANIZATION] is comprised of [LIST OTHER AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS, IF APPROPRIATE]. According to [PREVIOUSLY QUOTED ORGANIZATION REPRESENTATIVE OR OTHER CONCERNED EXPERT], “Raising awareness among parents, educators, healthcare professionals, retailers, law enforcement, and other teen influencers about this substance abuse problem is crucial to combating it.” Part of the national CADCA and CHPA cough medicine education initiative includes the release of a cough medicine abuse toolkit for all these audiences, to get the community involved in this community issue.

“As a community, we want to safeguard our young people against substance abuse,” said General Arthur Dean, Executive Director and CEO of CADCA. “While children make up only 25 percent of our national population, they represent 100 percent of our future.”

More information is now available online at www.StopMedicineAbuse.org. For more information about the [THE ORGANIZATION’S EVENT] or cough medicine abuse in general, please contact: [INFORMATION].

<<INSERT BOILERPLATE PARAGRAPH ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION AND AFFILIATED GROUPS.>>

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