The Tennessee Department of Health kicked off the new “Tennessee Faces of the Opioid Crisis“ public education and awareness campaign July 16 at the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville. This project will feature people from every county of Tennessee sharing personal stories of how they have been impacted by the opioid crisis. The campaign also provides resources and information on how everyone can be part of the solution to this problem.
“Our goal is to demonstrate the opioid epidemic is having an impact on people in every community and county in our state – our neighbors, friends, coworkers – and that together we can overcome this crisis,“ said TDH Commissioner Lisa Piercey, MD, MBA, FAAP. “We are so grateful to those sharing their stories as a way to give hope to others who may be struggling with substance abuse and connect people with resources in their communities.“
Campaign participants representing several Tennessee counties attended the launch event, which included the debut of public service announcements and artwork created for the effort. Each county participant will be featured on a poster sharing his or her photo and story. In addition to on-air and digital placement of the videos, TDH will make the videos and posters available to community partners who wish to use the materials to help educate people about the impact of the opioid crisis and resources available in the community to help prevent drug abuse and misuse.
“I’m excited for this campaign to show that, while drug abuse has affected so many of our lives, it’s not won. Glory to God for the successes and victories in my life and the lives of others!” said Pharmacist Robbie Monahan, Tennessee Faces of the Opioid Crisis participant from Washington County. “I want to be an example for others to see that they too can overcome obstacles and achieve greater things.”
“Tennessee Faces of the Opioid Crisis“ includes four public service announcements which will air through cable providers and digital placements from July 17 through September 29. Themes for these spots are: Faces (Tennessee Faces of the Opioid Crisis); Hands (Count It! Lock It! Drop It!); Pills (What Are Opioids?) and Texting. The spots include messaging designed for both adults and teenagers.
Visit TNFacesofOpioids.com to read the stories shared by Tennesseans across the state and learn about community-based resources available to assist people impacted by substance abuse and misuse. TDH will also share the stories on social media @TNDeptofHealth with the hashtag #TNFaces. Find the campaign on Instagram @TNFaces.
TDH is still seeking stories from people living or working in some Tennessee counties. Those who would like to share a story of how they have been impacted by the opioid crisis are invited to visit www.tn.gov/tnfacesofopioids/share-your-story.html and use the online form.
“Tennessee Faces of the Opioid Crisis“ is a project funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Opioid Crisis Cooperative Agreement.
The mission of the Tennessee Department of Health is to protect, promote and improve the health and prosperity of people in Tennessee. Learn more about TDH services and programs at www.tn.gov/health.