Here's a Dose of Reality.
By 2015, prescription opiate abuse was a public health crisis in Wisconsin. Deaths and hospitalizations from overdoses were increasing by huge margins and four out of five heroin addicts start by abusing prescription painkillers. The Wisconsin Department of Justice wanted a public information campaign with the aim to stop the spread of prescription painkiller abuse in Wisconsin, especially among youth and young people ages 12-25.
The Results
AFFIRM was hired by the Attorney General’s Office to research, plan, produce and execute a statewide Prescription Opiate Abuse Prevention, Education, and Awareness Campaign. The agency branded the campaign DOSE OF REALITY and produced a multitude of marketing materials in an abbreviated timeframe so it could launch in September 2015. Among these materials was a campaign website, www.DoseofRealityWI.gov, that features an online materials ordering portal that allows health care organizations around the State to access and use the campaign materials for free. Through December 2018, more than 4,000 campaign materials have been downloaded from the portal by hundreds of Wisconsin communities and organizations. DOSE OF REALITY has also helped lead to a 70% increase in collected unused prescription medications on the twice-a-year DRUG TAKE BACK Days promoted by the campaign. Finally, the Wisconsin Department of Justice is generously allowing other states to use the campaign in their fights against opiate abuse so AFFIRM has worked with states such as Arkansas, Georgia and Texas as they join the effort.
