[March 14, 2019]

Rite Aid Foundation Launches New Prescription Drug Safety Initiative in Harrisburg-Area High Schools

In an effort to help address adolescent drug abuse and misuse in Pennsylvania, The Rite Aid Foundation is bringing the Prescription Drug Safety program, an innovative digital course about prescription drug abuse prevention, to Harrisburg-area high schools.

The program, developed by EVERFI, the nation's leading education technology innovator used in one in seven schools nationwide, will be made available to high schools in Cumberland, Dauphin, and York counties at no cost. Representatives of The Rite Aid Foundation, Executive Deputy Attorney General for Public Engagement Rob Reed and Harrisburg School District officials announced the launch of the new program during a press conference and demonstration at Harrisburg High School SciTech Campus.

"This vicious cycle of opioid abuse is one that young people are falling victim to far too often," said Tracy Henderson, director of The Rite Aid Foundation and charitable giving initiatives. "Our country is faced with an unparalleled crisis that is critically impacting the lives of our children. One of Rite Aid's core values is being a caring neighbor, involved in meaningful ways in the communities we serve, especially if it involves improving the health and wellbeing of children. We are pleased to introduce this incredibly important prevention education program to students in the Harrisburg area, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to prevent abuse before it starts."

The Prescription Drug Safety program uses an evidence-based, public health approach to empower high school students with the skills and knowledge they need to make safe and healthy decisions about prescription drugs. Through interactive scenarios and self-guided activities, students learn the facts about drugs, how to properly use and dispose of them, and how to step in when faced with a situation involving misuse. The course is aligned with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Health Education Standards and state academic standards.

Pennsylvania is one of the states hardest hit by prescription drug abuse and the opioid epidemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pennsylvania is among the top five states with the highest rates of opioid-related deaths, with 5,456 deaths being attributed to opioid drug overdose in 2017, per the Drug Enforcement Administration.

"The heroin and opioid epidemic is the number one public health and public safety crisis affecting Pennsylvania and it is my top priority," said Attorney General Josh Shapiro. "For far too many Pennsylvanians, addiction starts with prescription drugs obtained at their doctor's office. I'm grateful to partner with organizations like The Rite Aid Foundation to bring this critically important education program to our students to increase their awareness of dangers associated with prescription drug abuse."

Harrisburg School District is implementing the six-lesson online Prescription Drug Safety program as part of the health education program. Harrisburg High School SciTech Campus is one of the first Harrisburg-area schools to integrate the program into its curriculum. Over the next year, many other area high schools will be launching the program.

"It is incredibly important to educate children in our community aout the real-world crises of prescription drug abuse and the dangers they could face," said Harrisburg School District superintendent, Dr. Sybil Knight-Burney. "It is imperative that we uplift and educate our students to be able to change the world and become active and informed members of the community. We are extremely grateful to The Rite Aid Foundation for helping educate our students to make smart, healthy and responsible choices regarding prescription drug abuse."

In addition to the activation in Harrisburg-area high schools, as part of its commitment to creating safe and healthy environments for children and teens, The Rite Aid Foundation, through its KidCents program, will also fund the introduction of the Prescription Drug Safety program to high schools in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Pittsburgh markets in Pennsylvania as well as several communities in Washington, California, Michigan, Oregon and Ohio. In all, The Rite Aid Foundation made a three-year, $1.7 million commitment to the Prescription Drug Safety program, which is expected to reach more than 400 high schools.

Through the KidCents program, members of Rite Aid's loyalty program, wellness+ rewards, can round up their in-store or online purchases to the nearest dollar and donate their change to KidCents. Members can also choose to direct their change to a specific KidCents charity by visiting www.kidcents.com. Through KidCents' Step Up Fund, The Rite Aid Foundation provides a matching donation of $500 for every $500 a charity raises in contributions through the wellness+ rewards program, up to a maximum of $5,000. For more information, visit www.kidcents.com.

Since its inception in 2001, The Rite Aid Foundation has awarded more than $52 million to nonprofit organizations. Additionally, Rite Aid, through the efforts of its customers, supplier partners and associates, has also raised more than $92 million for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals across the country since 1994.

Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD) is one of the nation's leading drugstore chains with fiscal 2018 annual revenues of $21.5 billion. Information about Rite Aid, including corporate background and press releases, is available through the company's website at www.riteaid.com.

The School District of the City of Harrisburg is committed to providing a rigorous and relevant education to all students in an innovative, supportive and culturally responsive learning environment that fosters high expectations, and data driven, standards aligned instruction provided by committed, highly qualified educators. Through collaborative partnerships, and strong parent and community engagement, we aim to empower all students to become academic achievers and lifelong learners who are motivated and prepared to compete and succeed beyond high school graduation in 21st Century global markets.

EVERFI is the leading education technology innovator that provides learners of all ages education for the real world through scalable digital learning platforms. Founded in 2008, EVERFI is fueled by its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS (News - Alert)) subscription model and has certified over 25 million learners with more than 3,500 partners across 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico. EVERFI is an industry convener that builds Networks that tackle the toughest social issues. These Networks include the Prescription Drug Safety Network, Campus Prevention Network, and the Financial Capability Network. Some of America's leading CEOs and venture capital firms are EVERFI investors including Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, Google (News - Alert) Chairman Eric Schmidt, Twitter founder Evan Williams, TPG Growth, The Rise Fund, Advance Publications, Rethink Education and Rethink Impact. To learn more about EVERFI visit everfi.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter @EVERFI.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190314005564/en/

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