The CDC launched the Rx Awareness campaign Monday to educate Americans on the dangers associated with opioid misuse.
The communications campaign will run for 14 weeks in Ohio, Kentucky, Massachusetts and New Mexico, sharing the stories of people who have lost loved ones to opioid overdoses and those recovering from opioid addiction. The campaign will include videos, signs and billboards, social media images, radio spots and online ads.
"This campaign is part of CDC's continued support for states on the frontlines of the opioid overdose epidemic," said CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald, MD "These heartbreaking stories of the devastation brought on by opioid abuse have the potential to open eyes — and save lives."
Every day, more than 1,000 people are admitted to the emergency department for prescription opioid misuse. More than 40 percent of these individuals die of an overdose, according to the CDC.
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