AdCare Maine and the New England Prevention Technology Transfer Center are excited to announce the upcoming launch of our graphic medicine, Against the Odds – a new tool to help foster prevention-focused conversations with young people about problem gambling.
A graphic medicine uses the format of a graphic novel to communicate health information. Evidence shows that the visuals combined with the information can help with memory of important information, as well as understanding and comprehension. We worked with SOPO Unite in South Portland, Maine, to create this student-lead story about five friends, while struggling with the normal ups and downs of life as a teenager in small-town New England, now find themselves with a bigger problem on their claws…I mean, hands! The plastics factory on the outskirts of town had a chemical leak, and it’s really killed the vibes. Now these friends have to launch an epic grass-roots community clean up, before the vibes kill them!
Throughout the story, we see one friend, Luke, struggle with his gambling habits, and another friend, Bishop, struggle with the impacts of the environmental crisis on his well-being, but those very visible struggles aren’t the only ones. Stay until the end to catch how the students find connection as medicine, and check out the accompanying Implementation guide to see all the ways the story can be a tool for you to talk to young people about problem gambling. Like our sister-product, In the Air, which puts focus on Vaping Prevention, this resource will be available in Print and digital, as well as in Spanish and Portuguese. All our resources are free to the public, through our cooperative agreement with SAMHSA and our Agility Grant through the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG).
Follow our newsletter to get information on how you can join us for the product Launch in early December, as well as our Facilitator training in the new year.