Quick look: A new public service announcement produced by the Orange County Department of Education is appearing in two Garden Grove movie theaters through November, encouraging families to learn about the dangers of nitrous oxide misuse and start conversations with young people.
Families heading to the movies in Garden Grove this summer may notice an unexpected preview before the feature presentation.
Beginning this month, a public service announcement produced by the Orange County Department of Education is appearing at Regal Garden Grove and Starlight West Garden Grove Cinemas, encouraging parents, caregivers and families to learn about the dangers of nitrous oxide misuse and talk with young people about its risks.
The campaign, funded through the Orange County Health Care Agency, is part of OCDE’s ongoing prevention education efforts to raise awareness of emerging substance use trends affecting youth. The public service announcement was developed by the Prevention Education team and produced by OCDE’s Media Services unit.
Rather than focusing on students alone, the campaign aims to reach entire families in a setting where they naturally spend time together.
Meeting families where they are
According to OCDE’s Prevention Education team, Garden Grove was selected after reviewing local data and gathering feedback from parents and caregivers during community events and prevention workshops.
Movie theaters offered another advantage: they provide an opportunity to connect with families outside of traditional school settings.
“Families play an important role in preventing youth substance use, but they don’t always have access to information about emerging drug trends,” said Joanne Reyes, project liaison for Prevention Education team.
“With their busy schedules, parents and other adults may not be able to attend an hour-long prevention workshop. By sharing this short video in movie theaters, we can reach them in a familiar setting where they spend time together. We hope this will raise awareness about the risks of nitrous oxide misuse and encourage open conversations to help keep young people safe.”
The PSA includes a QR code directing viewers to multilingual resources with additional information about nitrous oxide and guidance for talking with children about substance misuse.
Raising awareness
Nitrous oxide, sometimes referred to as “laughing gas,” is legally used for medical and culinary purposes but can pose serious health risks when misused recreationally. According to the Orange County Health Care Agency, misuse of the substance has become an increasing concern locally, prompting public education efforts and proposed state legislation aimed at limiting youth access.
The PSA is scheduled to run through Nov. 22 at Regal Garden Grove and through Nov. 29 at Starlight West Garden Grove Cinemas.
Families can learn more by visiting OCDE’s multilingual Nitrous Oxide: What Parents and Caregivers Need to Know resource or the Orange County Health Care Agency’s Special Report on Nitrous Oxide.