King County, WA
Campaign: “Laced & Lethal Teens”
Agency: Rescue
Opioid-laced drugs have always been a risk when using narcotics, but the strength of tasteless, odorless, minuscule fentanyl grains exponentially increases that danger.
In the midst of an alarming rise in fatal opioid overdoses among its teenage residents, King County, WA turned to Rescue for help. Between 2018 and 2020, the county saw a 167% increase in the number of fentanyl-involved deaths, with 18 local youth dying of fatal overdoses in 2020 alone.
Rather than dissuade substance use, they asked us to create an educational campaign explaining the dangers inherent in substances brought on the street and inform teens on where to get and how to use naloxone (a medication that can reverse the effects of an overdose).
Aside from a website, we worked to meet our audience where they were, by creating flyers, posters, and handouts containing step-by-step instructions for using naloxone and QR code links to locations offering free naloxone.
Within a week of launching Laced & Lethal Teens, all of the sites offering free naloxone were cleared of their inventory, placing hundreds of naloxone kits in the hands of King County’s teenage residents who could potentially stop an overdose and save a life.
To ensure teens throughout the county were aware of the naloxone program, we created posters for schools and recreational centers. The key here was inspiring action. We wanted teens to know that each of them could make a difference simply by picking up free naloxone and learning how to use it.
Poster
The success of this entire campaign depended on our ability to garner trust: Teens needed to understand that they would not face punishment for carrying naloxone and calling for help in the event of an overdose. The website contained all the information on where to get naloxone and how to use it, so we had to communicate authenticity immediately. Our strategy? Pair straightforward writing with images of everyday teens.
Website
