County reports $15,000 opioid-abatement media campaign; court to consider more social-media amplification

County staff reviewed an opioid-abatement media campaign funded with settlement dollars that the court previously approved. Staff said the campaign budget was $15,000, of which roughly $4,000 paid staff time to develop advertisements; the county ran 36 print ads (averaging about $78.57 per print advertisement) and digital placements that staff estimated reached 23,000–25,000 individuals per month.

Messaging elements included overdose recognition and naloxone education, harm-reduction practices, treatment and recovery resources and local support programs. Staff said some entertainment and outreach material was developed in partnership with the Georgetown News Graphic and distributed to community outlets such as the Scott Shopper.

The court discussed whether future campaigns should shift toward targeted, paid social-media boosts to reach younger residents; staff offered to research social-media costs and return with options that could be paid from opioid-settlement funds. A citizen volunteer representing a local harm-reduction team asked the court to consider formal requests for at least five public naloxone boxes (to be monitored by the volunteer group) and staff said they would accept a formal proposal for the court’s consideration.

"The campaign funding was 15,000," a staff presenter summarized when discussing the overall budget for the outreach period. The court asked staff to draft a costed option for a paid social-media plan and to bring a formal naloxone-box proposal back for review.