>> YES AND WE HAVE TO TEAL PUMPKINS TOO THAT SIGNIFY MAY BE SOME ALLERGIES.
>> PEANUT ALLERGIES.
>> RIGHT.
>> IT HELPS.
>> JUST LITTLE SIGNS FOR
EVERYBODY TO BE AWARE OF.
>> THE MISUSE OF AN ADDICTION
TO PRESCRIPTION PAIN RELIEVERS
LIKE HEROIN AND FENTANYL HAS
LED TO SOME PEOPLE TO WHAT WE
CALL OPIOID NATION.
WE’VE OFTEN TALKED ABOUT THIS
CRISIS AND HOW IT’S AFFECTING
FAMILIES.
IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPACTING
CHILDREN AND RECENTLY SESAME
STREET LAUNCHED AN IMPORTANT
NEW INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT THE
5.7 MILLION CHILDREN UNDER THE
AGE OF 11 LIVING IN HOUSEHOLDS
WITH A PARENT WITH A SUBSTANCE
ABUSE DISORDER AND TO CONTINUE
TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THIS
IMPORTANT ISSUE MUPPETS CARLY
AND ABBY ARE JOINING US NOW
ALONG WITH SVP OF SOCIAL IMPACT
AND SESAME WORKSHOP.
DOCTOR JEANNETTE. GOOD MORNING
TO ALL THREE OF YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> THIS IS SO EXCITING.
SO FIRST I HAVE TO ASK YOU,
DOCTOR, HOW THIS IDEA CAME
ABOUT AND HOW YOU ARE
EXPLAINING TO KIDS THIS REALLY
DIFFICULT TOPIC.
>> IT IS A FOCAL TOPIC AND THE
REASON WE TOOK IT ON IS EXACTLY
BECAUSE OF STATISTICS.
THERE IS ALMOST 6 MILLION
CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 11
EXPERIENCING PARENTAL ADDICTION
IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD WITH MOMMY
OR DADDY.
AND WE KNOW THAT ADDICTION IS A
GROWN-UP SICKNESS WHERE YOU
NEED GROWN-UP HELP TO GET
BETTER.
AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE
CHILDREN FELT THAT THE COULD
EXPLAIN PARENTAL ADDICTION BUT
THAT THEY WERE NOT ALONE AND
THAT THERE ARE WAYS TO TALK
ABOUT IT.
>> AND THAT IS RIGHT.
AND WE SAW CARLY THERE TALKING
WITH ELMO.
AND ELMO TOLD YOU CARLY HE IS
THERE IS YOUR FRIEND A RIGHT TO
SUPPORT YOU AND HOLD YOUR HAND.
>> YES THAT IS RIGHT.
>> ELMO IS A REALLY GOOD FRIEND
AND SO IS ABBY.
ABBY IS A GREAT FRIEND BECAUSE
SHE’S A REALLY, REALLY GOOD
LISTENER.
ESPECIALLY WHEN I NEED TO TALK
ABOUT MY BIG FEELINGS.
>> THAT IS RIGHT.
AND DOCTOR, IS IT IMPORTANT TO
USE THE WORDS ADDICTION AND
SUBSTANCE ABUSE WHILE HAVING
THIS CONVERSATION WITH
CHILDREN?
>> WE DESCRIBE VERY
SPECIFICALLY IN OUR RESOURCES
WHICH ARE ACCESSIBLE THROUGH
SESAME STREET COMMUNITIES.ORG
HOW TO DESCRIBE PARENTAL
ADDICTION.
USE THAT LANGUAGE BECAUSE THIS
IS THE WAY WE RESEARCH SO
CHILDREN CAN UNDERSTAND IT.
I THINK IF YOU’RE DIRECTLY
IMPACTED IT IS GOOD TO BE
SPECIFIC ABOUT THE WORDING AND
WE GIVE A DESCRIPTION VERY
OVERTLY.
>> AND SOMETIMES I CALL IT A
GROWN-UP PROBLEM.
>> OKAY.
THAT MAKES SENSE.
IN CARLY I KNOW THAT ABBY,
GABBY HAS BEEN SUCH A GREAT
PFRIEND TO YOU.
WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU ABBY
HAVE LEARNED ABOUT CARLY AND
HER MOM AND WHAT THE STRUGGLE
IS LIKE FOR CARLY?
>> JUST LIKE CARLY TALKS ABOUT,
LIKE SHE FELT INSIDE THAT
SOMETHING WAS GOING ON.
WHEN YOU ARE A GOOD FRIEND WITH
SOMEONE YOU CAN TELL WHETHER OR
NOT THERE IS SOMETHING THEY
TO BE A BETTER LISTENER AND
ALSO HOW TO BE A GOOD FRIEND
BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED
TO FEEL SAD AND YOU JUST WANT
SOMEONE THERE WITH YOU SO YOU
KNOW YOU’RE NOT ALONE SO THAT
YOU CAN BE THERE TOGETHER AND
SOMETIMES WE WOULD DO ARTWORK
AND SOMETIMES OUR ARTWORK WOULD
HELP US EXPRESS OUR FEELINGS.
SO I THINK I JUST LEARNED THE
POWER OF FRIENDSHIP AND THAT
KINDNESS IS A SUPERPOWER.
>> YES IT IS.
>> THAT IS A FANTASTIC ANSWER.
I LOVE HEARING THAT, ABBY.
THIS IS KIND OF A TOUGH
QUESTION, CARLY.
BUT HOW DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL
DO NOT HAVE YOUR MOM AROUND ALL
THE TIME?
>> WELL, SO SINCE MY MOM HAS A
GROWN-UP PROBLEM, SHE HAD TO GO
GET GROWN-UP HELP AND IT MADE
ME SAD TO NOT HAVE HER AROUND
BECAUSE I LOVE MY MOM SO MUCH.
BUT NOW SHE IS GETTING HELP AND
SHE IS FEELING BETTER.
AND SHE IS BACK HOME THAT MAKES
ME FEEL REALLY, REALLY HAPPY.
>> THAT IS SO GOOD TO HEAR ON
AM GLAD TO HEAR SHE’S ON THE
ROAD TO RECOVERY.
DOCTOR, WHERE YOU MAY FIND
THESE RESOURCES?
>> ALL OF THESE RESOURCES ARE
FREELY AVAILABLE ON SESAME
STREET AND COMMUNITIES.ORG.
THEY ARE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH
AND AVAILABLE FOR GROWN-UPS AND
CHILDREN ALIKE.
>> WE WANT TO THANK ALL THREE
OF YOU FOR TAKING TIME TO TALK
WITH US.
WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO SPREAD
AWARENESS.
>> THANK YOU.
>> I LOVE THAT.
I GET MY SHARE SESAME STREET SO
I WILL BE LOOKING OUT FOR CARLY
AND HER STORY.
AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THIS
ONE AND THREE OF THESE KIDS
AFFECTED BY THIS CRISIS AND UP
IN FOSTER CARE.
SO WE CANNOT SAY ENOUGH ABOUT
THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED TO
JUST REBOUND AND GET THROUGH
IT.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AND I THINK IT SUCH A DIFFICULT
TOPIC FOR PARENTS TO THINK
THROUGH BEFORE THEY HAVE A
CONVERSATION WITH A CHILD AND
SO DO HAVE THAT FRAMEWORK BY
SOMETHING LIKE SESAME STREET