The Partnership for a Drug-Free America has a new name – The Partnership at Drugfree.org – and a new spokeswoman in actress Melissa Gilbert. The organization is famous for its "this is your brain on drugs" television ads.
"I come at the issue of addiction from so many angles," said Gilbert. The 46-year-old actress is a mother and stepmother of four and has struggled with alcohol and drugs in the past. "I myself am a recovering alcoholic, six years sober," said Gilbert, who admitted that during the 1980s she used drugs and alcohol.
"We were trying to find these voices that don’t bring celebrity for the sake of celebrity, but bring along credibility," said Steve Pasierb, president of the organization. "Melissa is in recovery herself and she’s got kids, it was a perfect combination of our wanting to have a real relationship and her wanting to have a real relationship."
Pasierb believes the name change reflects a shift in the needs of parents today.
"What we were hearing a lot from parents was that they appreciated the prevention stuff, but when it came to their kid coming home drunk for the first time, or getting high for the first time there was no one out there," said Pasierb. "We want to be the first-aid kit of this issue."
Gilbert believes that today’s parents confront different challenges when talking about drugs with their children, because "we can’t actually say to our children, you shouldn’t do it, because I never did. It’s a whole different situation."
