New National Survey Reveals Continued Need to Connect Parents with Vital Prevention Education and Awareness
A new Victoria’s Voice/Harris Poll survey sheds light on the increased need for parent education and support as the illicit drug market churns out more potent, lethal, and laced products than ever before.
The nationally representative poll of 1,230 parents in the United States made the need clear:
- 51% of parents with children under the age of 18 reported they are concerned about missing the warning signs of potential drug use by their kids.
- 53% of parents reported they are unaware that naloxone nasal spray—a safe and effective opioid overdose reversal medication commonly sold under the brand name NARCAN®—can be obtained without a prescription.
- 22% of parents—just one in five—reported having naloxone on hand in the event of an overdose.
Victoria’s Voice Co-Founder Jackie Siegel reacted, “These findings underscore the point that we still have so much work to do in educating parents about youth drug prevention, preparedness, and emergency response. When parents recognize the warning signs and have naloxone on hand, they become the first line of defense in protecting not just their own kids but other young people in their community.”
Siegel continued, “We must ensure that all parents are equipped with the knowledge and tools to help their children stay drug-free and prevent families from enduring the same grief that my family and I still carry every day.”
Despite increased naloxone awareness efforts and wider availability of product in recent years—two public initiatives that contributed to the nearly 27% decline in U.S. drug overdose deaths in 2024—the poll revealed that parents’ overall knowledge of naloxone remains low.
Naloxone helps restore normal breathing in a person experiencing an opioid overdose. It is safe, easy to administer, and designed for use by bystanders and responders alike. With nearly 67% of fatal youth overdoses occurring in the presence of someone else and 60% of all youth overdoses occurring in the home, it is especially important that parents have naloxone at the ready and know how to use it to save their child’s life (CDC).
Victoria’s Voice Board Member and Seminole County (FL) Sheriff Dennis Lemma weighed in on the survey findings, “As policing professionals, we too often see the devastating impact of drug use after it’s too late. This survey reinforces that prevention begins at home, with parents recognizing the signs and keeping naloxone close at hand.”
Lemma added, “Our responsibility goes beyond enforcement: it’s about empowering families with the tools and knowledge to protect their children. When parents are prepared, lives are saved.”
This is exactly why Victoria’s Voice developed its free VITAL SIGNS program: To empower parents with the tools to recognize and address the early signs of behavioral health issues and drug misuse in their children. Visit https://victoriasvoicefoundation.thinkific.com to enroll in VITAL SIGNS today.
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This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Victoria’s Voice from August 12‒14, 2025, among 1,230 parents, including those with adult children. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 3.4 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.