The California Department of Health has selected San Francisco-based advertising agency Duncan Channon to lead a $40M campaign centered on opioid education and overdose prevention.
The campaign aims to address the fentanyl crisis in California, which has resulted in thousands of deaths.
Duncan Channon will take over an existing CDC education campaign and revive it by outlining the paths that can lead to opioid use.
- The advertising firm plans to target 16-39-year-olds, the age group most at risk of opioid use, addiction, and overdose. According to Drugabusestatistics.org, 25-34-year-olds have the highest rate of drug overdose deaths, at 54.3 per 100,000 residents.
- The agency is steering away from shame and scare tactics in favor of a more empathetic approach that seeks to heal those affected by drug use. The campaign is also looking to eliminate the stigmas associated with drug use and overdose prevention methods, such as carrying Narcan.
- The state of California was required to work with a state-based agency that did not present conflicts of interest with cannabis, tobacco, e-cigarette, or pharmaceutical companies.
- The $40M was mainly sourced from California's Opioid Settlements Fund State Operations.