Cleveland Poster Contest To Focus On Heroin Epidemic

CLEVELAND, OH - Is your child a great artist? A series of Cleveland law enforcement and prosecution groups are holding a poster contest for students in grades 7 to 12. The theme of the art will be the heroin and opiate addiction crisis.

The contest is being put on by the Cleveland divisions of the FBI and the DEA, the Northern District of Ohio US Attorney's Office, Robby's Voice, FBI Cleveland Citizens Academy Foundation and the FBI Future Agents in Training.

Teenagers will be asked to make posters 24" by 36" and should submit their work either via mail or in person at the FBI, Cleveland Division Field Office, 1501 Lakeside Avenue Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio, 44114. All submissions are due by April 30 at 5 p.m.

Winners will receive prize money, courtesy of the FBI Cleveland Citizens Academy Foundation. Winners will also likely be displayed in public venues at the end of the contest. All of the posters will be judged by alumni of the FBI Future Agents in Training program.

The law enforcement agencies say they have already sent information on the poster contest to more than 400 superintendents and school principals in the area.

Recently, the FBI and DEA worked together on a documentary film called "Chasing the Dragon: the Life of an Opiate Addict." The documentary attempts to illuminate the dangers of opioid addiction. You can view the documentary here.

This crisis is particularly harrowing for teenagers. New stats from the FBI and DEA show that the average of first-time heroin users is between 12 and 17. January saw 46 heroin/fentanyl deaths in the Northeast Ohio region, a staggeringly high number.

If you are a student and have questions about the poster contest, you should contact the FBI Community Outreach Specialist Tamara Larkin at tamara.larkin@ic.fbi.gov for additional information.

Photo from Shutterstock