Ads Encourage Parents to Communicate with Children about Opioids

(Fall 2018) A new Central Ohio group has come together to teach area residents about the opioid threat and has rolled out a public service announcement (PSA) that cautions about the miscalculation of risk these drugs carry with them. The agency premiered it on streaming services and then widened the campaign to include radio, TV and billboard spots.

The group’s initial PSA strives to communicate that every child and teen is a prospective victim of the opioid crisis. It warns that parents should not live in the fictional town of Denial, Ohio — a place where parents don’t believe their children could be touched by the Buckeye State’s epidemic of opioid abuse and addiction.

The organization behind the PSA is the Ohio Opioid Education Alliance. It was formed through a partnership of the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board of Franklin County along with area businesses and local agencies. The group’s mission is to help underwrite the cost of drug prevention efforts, a component that is historically underfunded. The Nationwide Foundation was a major contributor to the new organization, giving $2 million. Over a dozen businesses and nonprofits have become part of the coalition to date, and more are anticipated to join.

Statistics obtained through national drug-abuse surveys show that almost 80% of American heroin users say that their drug abuse began by misusing prescription opioids. Ohio has been hit particularly hard by the opioid crisis, with fatalities averaging 14 per day in 2017. Franklin County alone, in which the state’s capital, Columbus, is located, logged over 500 drug overdose deaths last year, which is close to a 50% rise from 2016.

To find out more about the Ohio Opioid Education Alliance’s initiative, visit DontLiveinDenial.org.

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