SAFE Coalition: SAMHSA Supports President’s New Opioid Campaign

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced its support of a new opioids campaign, which reflects a recommendation from the President Trump’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis.

The campaign to stop youth opioid abuse is a multi-channel campaign from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the Ad Council, and the Truth Initiative that focuses on preventing and reducing the misuse of opioids among youth and young adults. The campaign is fully grounded in research, evaluation, and expert input.

The first set of four advertisements for the campaign will bring to life the stories of four young Americans who, in pursuit of more opioids, go to extreme lengths to feed their addiction—including a purposeful car crash and a self-inflicted broken arm. The ads will be multi-channel, reaching youth through digital platforms, social media, influencers, and television. This is the first of multiple advertising and awareness campaigns targeting young Americans and the opioid crisis. The campaign will also host a website, thetruth.com, which will include information about opioids, the epidemic, and evidence-based drug treatment.

The opioid epidemic in America is growing and young people are at an elevated risk of addiction. It is estimated that more than 2 million Americans will suffer from addiction to prescription or illicit opioids in 2018. In 2016 alone, 63,632 Americans died of a drug overdose, of which nearly two-thirds involved a prescription or illicit opioid.

Data suggests that young people are especially susceptible to opioid misuse: More than two-thirds of people in drug treatment for opioids reported their first use of opioids (other than heroin) by age 25. In 2016, three-quarters of drug-related overdoses among those aged 15 to 24 were opioid-related. Teens in 2016 (aged 15-19) were more than twice as likely to die due to a drug overdose as they were 17 years earlier.

Unfortunately, few youth and young adults who need treatment receive it. Youth stay in treatment at a third of the rate adults do. In addition, while over 25 percent of adults in treatment for heroin receive Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), only 2 percent of teens in treatment receive the same evidence-based care. The Trump administration maintains its commitment to address this issue.

The SAFE Glen Cove Coalition is conducting an opioid prevention awareness campaign entitled "Keeping Glen Cove SAFE" to educate and update the community regarding opioid use and its consequences. To learn more about the Presidents campaign, please visit http://opioids.thetruth.com. To learn more about the SAFE Glen Cove Coalition please follow us on www.facebook.com/safeglencovecoalition.