For many years Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. has been a supporter of LifeSmarts. As one of our longest-standing partners, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. has helped develop lessons and content on 
medication safety. Thanks to the expanded sponsorship of Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc., LifeSmarts will develop a community service project to enlist high school students to educate their 5th and 6th grade counterparts about over-the-counter (OTC) medicine safety.
“The hope of Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. is that the new LifeSmarts OTC Medicine Safety Mentoring Project will instill in teens and tweens a healthy respect for all medicines by teaching core concepts on the responsible use and safe storage of medicines,” said Leily Saadat-Lajevardi, Sr. Manager, OTC Appropriate Use, Scientific Education & Patient Advocacy, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc.
Reaching 125,000 teens a year in 42 states and the District of Columbia, the LifeSmarts program has a powerful impact on the health and safety of America’s youth. Similar to other life skills such as budgeting to teach fiscal responsibility, early education about medicine safety can build a generation of smart consumers who have a healthy respect for medicines. “In doing so, we are building a healthier future for our adolescents, and helping to prevent medicine misuse, errors, and adverse events,” said Saadat-Lajevardi.
According to research, children begin to self-medicate as early as the age of 11. Unfortunately, when not equipped with the knowledge and training to make safe choices, adolescents may end up doing more harm than good. In fact, there are more than 10,000 emergency room visits each year due to medicine overdose that results from adolescents self-administering over-the-counter (OTC) medicines.
“It’s exciting to work with a partner like Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc., with whom we share core issues and a mission to educate teens to make smart and informed choices about their health,” said LifeSmarts Program Director Lisa Hertzberg. “They have been a strong LifeSmarts partner for many years, and we’re excited to see the partnership grow.”
