-Using Social Media to Alert and Engage Parents and Other Adults-

Philadelphia, September 15, 2009: The Treatment Research Institute (TRI) and Unyos, a Maryland-based Internet developer, along with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America (Partnership), today released “WebSafe,” an on-line platform to educate and empower parents, professionals and others to protect teens and other children from Internet drug threats.

Now accessible at websafeparent.com, WebSafe is an online community offering information educating adults about pro-drug content to which children may be exposed every time they go online. WebSafe also provides Community Alerts that regularly notify registered “WebSafe Parents” about new, potentially harmful websites and other Internet threats.

Parents and other adults can also purchase “The WebSafe Lifeguard,” state-of-the-art software that can monitor and control how long, when, and what sites children are visiting – and even block children from giving out personal and family information.

Eventually, visitors and members will be invited to join local “WebSafe Communities” where they can exchange information about threats with other concerned parents, educators, and professionals in their area.

“Parents would never let children surf dangerous waters unprotected,” said Carey Kriz, Unyos CEO, “and when they give permission, it’s on the condition there is a lifeguard on duty. Short of denying teen-agers and younger children all access to the Internet – impossible in most cases – WebSafe transforms parents into the “lifeguard” protecting Internet-surfing kids from the subtle and not-so-subtle threats they face,” he said.

The unique WebSafe resource came about as a result of TRI research that began in 2002 with the University of Pennsylvania that, first, explored rogue Internet pharmacies Later TRI began researching “pro-drug” sites that extol the virtues of using drugs and even teach how to make, use or sell drugs. The first iteration of tools to help parents and other adults combat these insidious threats were also researched and developed by TRI. “Exposure to illegal drug use and drug sales is no longer relegated to back alleys, dangerous street corners, or the ‘wrong crowd,’” noted David Festinger, Ph.D., leader of the WebSafe scientific development team at TRI. “Today, any seemingly harmless computer, laptop, cell phone, or other device with Internet capability can pose the same types of threats.”

Steve Pasierb, Partnership President, echoed those sentiments. “This is an increasingly digital world where teenagers roam freely and much of the time, profit from the experience. Our goal is to enlighten and empower parents, educators and other professionals to protect kids when they get into these situations that can ultimately prove to be very dangerous. We want to help parents and caregivers understand the immense power and influence they have to help teens make the right choices for themselves.”

For more information, contact Mr. Larry Jones, Vice President of Business Development for Unyos at ljones@unyos.com; Bonnie Catone, TRI Director of Communications, at http://www.bcatone@tresearch.org, or Josie Feliz, Deputy Director of Public Affairs for the Partnership, at josie_ feliz@drugfree.org.


TRI is an independent, non-profit research and development organization dedicated to science-driven transformation of addiction policy and treatment. TRI conducts original research and adapts scientific findings into products and services helping treatment providers, policy makers and parents. For more information, visit the TRI website at www.tresearch.org.

Unyos is a Maryland-based L.L.C. focused on the design, development and implementation of interactive content communities. With a board headed by Mr. Clarence Chandran (former Nortel COO), and a management team directed by Mr. Kriz (former Johns Hopkins/IBM executive), Unyos is committed to helping create a new model of communication and data sharing within the Internet. The founders and leadership of Unyos bring decades of experience and leadership in the technology, communications and health care industries.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America is a nonprofit organization uniting parents, renowned scientists and communications professionals to help families raise healthy children. The Partnership motivates and equips parents to prevent their children from using drugs and alcohol, intervene when drug and alcohol use is present and find help for family and friends in trouble. The Partnership’s site, drugfree.org, translates current research on teen behavior, addiction and treatment into easy to understand tips and tools and connects parents with expert advice and support. For parents who need help starting and maintaining conversations with their kids about drugs and alcohol, Time ToTalk, a nationwide parents’ movement, offers empowering tips and tools at TimeToTalk.org.