|
For immediate release: June 26, 2018 (18-093)
Contact: Julie Graham, Strategic Communications Office, 360-810-1628
Opioid prevention campaign kicks off in Washington
Initiative shines light on the risks of prescription
opioid addiction and overdose
OLYMPIA -- The Washington State Department of Health will launch a
statewide campaign this summer to warn about the dangers of opioid
prescriptions.
Since 2000, over 10,000 people in Washington have died
from an opioid overdose and there have been more than 17,697 opioid overdose
hospitalizations.
“This crisis is tragically affecting our family members,
friends and communities. We need to do everything we can to make sure people
understand that prescription opioids can quickly lead to dependence, addiction,
and deadly overdose,” says Dr. Kathy Lofy, state health officer.
Through compelling personal accounts, the campaign helps
make everyone aware of the risks and dangers of prescription opioids and
delivers a thought-provoking message: “It only takes a little to lose a
lot.”
With
funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the campaign
will focus on the hardest hit and most rural counties. Find more information on
Washington’s Opioid Response Plan, overdose prevention, or treatment resources or the upcoming campaign.
The
DOH website is
your source for a healthy dose of information. Find us on
Facebook and follow us
on Twitter using #WAOpioidPrevention. Sign up for the DOH blog, Public Health Connection. After hours and on weekends, call
360-236-4440.
|
