NEW YORK, NY, June 27, 2006 -- Twenty years ago, cocaine was America's drug of choice with a large number of consumers. Few users initially believed cocaine posed serious health risks. Some pointed to the lack of medical research on cocaine
 In the total population, age 12 and older, regular use of cocaine is down nearly 80 percent.
to buttress their case. The drug enjoyed widespread social acceptance and was often glamorized in mass media, which, along with word-of-mouth marketing, fueled consumption. Supply was plentiful, and cocaine's popularity soared.
Then Everything Changed
This mentality changed dramatically with the cocaine-related death of University of Maryland college basketball star Len Bias -- just two days after he was selected second overall in the 1986 NBA draft.

Who Was Len Bias?
During his college career Bias was seen as one of the most dynamic players in the nation. A back-to-back ACC Player of the Year, and a First-Team All American, Len considered his life “A dream within a dream.” Many basketball enthusiasts have even argued that he was comparable to Michael Jordan -- and consider him one of the greatest “what-ifs” in sports history.

How Len Bias Changed History
Today, Len’s legacy lives on -- but not
Len Bias (11/18/63 - 6/19/83) was expected to become one of the brightest stars in the NBA.
 because of his promised Celtic’s career. His surprising and tragic death inspired the entertainment media to focus on the dangers of cocaine, and a concerted public-education effort targeting the drug -- the centerpiece of which was an unprecedented advertising campaign -- got underway. Steadily, public attitudes began shifting with an increasing percentage of the population viewing cocaine as risky. Dramatic and long-lasting declines in cocaine consumption followed.

Today's Cocaine
Currently, America faces a similar dilemma to the ’80s cocaine problem. Until Len’s death, cocaine was seen as relatively benign, much the same way today’s teens view intentional abuse of medicines as safe. According to the Partnership’s latest teen research, nearly one in five teens report abusing prescription medication to get high. This “bad behavior with good medicine” puts an entire generation at risk -- teens' false belief that because these medicines are used for good purposes,
Nearly 1 in 5 teens report abusing prescription medication to get high.
they cannot be as harmful as illicit drugs such as Ecstasy, heroin and cocaine when abused.

Let's Keep Learning From Him
Instead of waiting for another tragedy like Len Bias’ to shock today’s youth into understanding the dangers of prescription medications, parents need to take preventative action by educating themselves about the risks of drugs and sharing that knowledge with their children.