Newberry opioid task force to launch county‑wide "HOPE" public awareness campaign in September

At the Aug. 25 meeting, the Newberry Opioid Task Force provided the City Commission with a seven‑year update and announced a countywide public education campaign called HOPE (Health and Opioid Prevention Awareness) that will begin Sept. 8 and use billboards, social media and broadcast public service announcements across Alachua County.

Why it matters: The campaign is funded by a roughly $250,000 allocation from county opioid settlement monies that originated in national litigation against major opioid manufacturers and distributors. The task force said a local committee was a prerequisite to county distribution of funds and that Newberry’s sustained work helped secure the local share.

Activities and outreach: Task force member Joy Glanzer summarized local activities over seven years: community events, Narcan distribution, the RadKids curriculum expansion to elementary schools (now in more than seven additional schools with more than 1,000 students reached this year) and a “Silence to Solution” speaker series that gives affected people a public platform. Glanzer said the HOPE campaign’s creative will target youth and vulnerable groups and that “you won’t be able to miss hearing the message that we’ve been putting out.”

Funding and governance: Glanzer and staff said the county’s Children’s Trust will serve as the umbrella organization for the campaign and that the money originates from national settlements that included a multibillion‑dollar agreement and local allocations for education and prevention.

Local resources and follow‑up: The task force continues to distribute Narcan and to host support groups for family members of people in recovery. Glanzer offered Narcan and contact information to commissioners and residents and asked for continued municipal support for public awareness and distribution efforts.