DOJ Hosts First-Ever Dose of Reality Week
(Pewaukee, Wis…April 30, 2018) Wisconsin’s Department of Justice hosted the first-ever DOSE OF REALITY Week April 22-29. DOSE OF REALITY Week was created as an opportunity for everyone in Wisconsin to get educated, spread the word, and take action to prevent the dangers of prescription painkiller abuse and addiction, as well as shed light on the statewide and nationwide opioid epidemic. The week included Wisconsin’s Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 28, and was recognized via a proclamation from Governor Scott Walker.
Individuals and organizations across the state participated in DOSE OF REALITY Week by attending an awareness event, viewing WisconsinEye’s opioid documentary, printing and distributing DOSE OF REALITY education and awareness materials, and properly and safely disposing of unwanted and unused medications by participating in Drug Take Back Day.
The DOSE OF REALITY campaign, which originally launched in September 2015, was designed to raise awareness of the risks of prescription painkillers and to help prevent opioid and narcotic abuse and addiction. Since then, the campaign has seen measurable success in the number of campaign materials ordered, the number of organizations ordering materials and the amount of drugs collected during Take Back events. The state’s last Drug Take Back Day took place in October 2017 and was the largest drug take back collection to date collecting 63,941 lbs. of unused medications. The total amount collected at the April 28th event will be announced by the Wisconsin Department of Justice in the coming weeks.
“The DOSE OF REALITY campaign has continued to raise awareness of what we all can do to prevent opioid addiction through simple, yet powerful actions: secure storage of prescription painkillers, proper disposal and starting conversations with family and physicians about alternative pain management,” said Laura Monagle, Vice President of client services and public relations at AFFIRM. “We are proud to be getting that message out and hopefully, saving lives.”
AFFIRM is a full-service marketing communications agency with headquarters in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. The agency serves local, regional and national clients in Business-to-Business and Consumer markets and has special expertise providing social marketing, transit, transportation and health benefits marketing and communications. For more information, call 262-650-9900, or visit www.AFFIRMAgency.com.
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