RI’s New $500K Campaign Asks “Is Your Drug Dealer a Vegan”
Friday, July 03, 2020
At the end of June, health officials said preliminary data indicated that Rhode Island saw a significant increase in accidental drug overdose deaths in the first quarter of 2020, compared to the same period in years past.
Now, the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospital has launched a nearly $500,000 campaign along with advertising agency Duffy & Shanley — geared towards raising awareness among drug users of illegal fentanyl.
“How well do you know the person who sells you cocaine? Do you trust there’s no illegal fentanyl in there?” asks BHDDH in their online ads. “Did you know your drug dealer is vegan?”
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe ad directs people to the website www.preventoverdoseri.org.
“The point of the campaign is to get people to think about the serious and very often life-threatening consequences of using illicit substances that contain fentanyl - a risk of which both the dealer and the user may not be appropriately aware,” said BHDDH Chief Community Relations Officer Linda Reilly.
“We want to alert individuals that lethal ingredients may have been added to the illicit drugs well before they made it to Rhode Island,” she added.
Record Quarter of Overdoses in Rhode Island
Although data for January, February, and March of 2020 are still considered provisional, the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) recently said it anticipates that between 93 and 95 people will have died of accidental drug overdoses during this period.
This represents roughly a 22% increase in accidental drug overdose deaths compared to the same time period in 2019. (See data below.) This number of accidental overdose deaths would be the most for a quarter on record in Rhode Island.
Although the factors driving this increase are still being investigated, RIDOH says one factor is the presence of extremely lethal synthetic opioids, such as carfentanil, in Rhode Island. The number of overdoses involving more than one substance has also increased.
“The COVID-19 crisis has made it more challenging for people with substance use disorder to stay connected to life-saving resources and support,” said Kathryn Power, Director of BHDDH.
“Polysubstance use, including the use of stimulants like methamphetamine, cocaine, and crack-cocaine, are also on the risk” she said. “It is even more critical to leverage the collaborative efforts of Governor Raimondo’s Overdose Prevention and Intervention Task Force to address this emerging trend.”
Reilly said the total cost of the new campaign for both creative and media buys is $458,000 — and was approved by the federal government.
“The campaign is federally funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), through the Medication Assisted Treatment-Prescription Drug and Opioid Addiction (MAT-PDOA) grant and the State Targeted Response (STR) grant,” said Reilly. “BHDDH worked with Duffy & Shanley on this campaign.”
Duffy & Shanley’s President, Jon Duffy, served as Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo’s transition team co-chair following her last election, and had made $9,500 in political donations to Raimondo throughout her career.
Reilly said the intent of the campaign is not to "normalize" drug use -- but instead get people help.
“BHDDH enjoys very strong partnerships with law enforcement agencies across the state, who—like BHDDH—recognize that addiction should be considered a treatable disease and that recovery is possible for anyone,” said Reilly.
“This campaign does not suggest that any currently illicit substances should be legalized," she added.
Additional Resources
According to RIDOH, Rhode Island’s treatment and recovery resources are still available online, over the phone, or in-person to support people with substance use disorder.
* BH Link, Rhode Island’s 24/7 behavioral health hotline, 401-414-LINK, connects callers to trained professionals who can provide confidential counseling, referrals, and support services.
* People can go to BH Link’s drop-in center in-person to get connected to support at 975 Waterman Avenue in East Providence.
* People who are experiencing opioid withdrawal can connect with a healthcare provider over the phone by calling Rhode Island’s Buprenorphine Hotline,401-606-5456. Callers can learn about Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) options and make a plan for continued treatment and recovery support through a Rhode Island Center of Excellence. Rhode Island Centers of Excellences are specialty centers that use evidence-based practices and provide treatment and the coordination of care to individuals with moderate to severe opioid use disorder.
* Fire stations in Providence, Newport, and Woonsocket are “Safe Stations.” This means that they are open every day to help people in crisis get connected to a peer recovery support specialist and treatment and recovery support services.
Rhode Island Data
Rhode Island’s accidental drug overdose death data from January 1, 2020 to March 31, 2020 should be finalized in the coming weeks, says RIDOH, as toxicology results are still pending for some March cases.
Accidental Overdose Deaths in Quarter One
2020 – 93 to 95 (provisional)
2019 – 77
2018 – 66
2017 – 89
2016 – 87
2015 – 81
2014 – 79
Total Accidental Overdose Deaths
2020 – 129 *
2019 – 308
2018 – 314
2017 – 324
2016 – 336
2015 – 290
2014 – 240
* Because of the time lag in confirming drug overdose deaths, this number should not be used to do to-date comparisons.
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