Lexington is considering a $25,000 public awareness campaign stressing the dangers of opioid abuse.
Lexington Substance Abuse and Violence Intervention Program Coordinator Amy Baker says the campaign will likely launch this summer. “We want to try a city wide campaign to reach the greatest number of people with the most effective message,” said Baker.
Baker says the number of overdose deaths continues to go up. She says they rose from 81 in 2013 to 179 in 2017. Baker worries that number could be even higher for 2018.
Baker says social service agencies and faith-based groups have been working together to combat the crisis. “While we’ve seen an increase in the numbers, I feel that the increase would have been greater without these programs and grassroots organizations working together to make an impact on these numbers,” noted Baker.
Details of the campaign are being finalized, but they could include digital, print, billboard, and bus messaging.
