Prevent First Time Use Through Education

Return to Opioid Top-Level Strategy Map 

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SWITCHING TO "Activating Your Community

 

Background

There are many barriers that prevent and limit the efforts of communities to address drug misuse and substance use disorder.  The topic is uncomfortable for many, and stigma exists at the community, family, and individual level.  Often there is a lack of leadership and champions who are willing to make improving local response a top priority.  Leadership is needed among multiple leaders - from elected and health officials, public safety entities, and community leaders already working along the continuum of care.  In addition, these leaders need to effectively coordinate their efforts.

Public education and awareness is also essential to activating a local community.  Residents need to know the unvarnished reality of what is taking place.  They need to what the problem is, and what needs to be done to improve the local response and save lives.  In addition to be educated, local residents also need to be involved in the the process.  The people are the community, and many have first-hand experience with drug misuse and SUD.  Many others have lived experience with family and friends who are struggling with these issues, and their input and participation is needed to create a Comprehensive and effective Community

 

Engaging Local Leaders

Drug Misuse and SUD has consequesces for all residents of local communities.  The current epidemic increases costs related to public health, public safety, criminal justice, treatment services, and many more.  Locally elected leaders should be motivated just by the economic impacts to improve local response.  A far greater price comes from the fatalities caused by the epidemic and related overdoses and the loved ones who must face the pain of those lost.  This is what motivates many others to create and join efforts to combat the epidemic within their communities.  These leaders work in prevention, harm reduction, treatment, recovery support services, and other efforts to save lives and help those in need find recovery.

Elected and Local Health Leaders

Locally elected leaders and health officials can play an important role in leading efforts to improve the response to the SUD epidemic.  Mayors, County Executives, Commissioners, and the local health leaders they appoint can be powerful allies in raising public awareness about the extent of the problem, available resources available to local residents, and specific strategies like harm reduction that can help save lives.

In many instances elected officials and local health officials are part of some type of community task force or other group charged with coordinating and improving local response to the epidemic.  However in the absence of such an effort elected and health leaders can and should be engaged in raising awareness about the issue and solutions while also increasing support within the community.  Elected leaders and especially legislators also play an important role in the creation of budgets and ultimately decide on how local revenues are allocated to different programs, and it is critical they are aware of the scope of these issues in their communities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overcoming Stigma

Anti--Stigma Campaigns:

State of Massachusetts - Sate Without StigMA.  The State of Massachusetts has developed a comprehensive anti-stigma campaign at the State level.  This resource provides information about what stigma is, how it contributes to the current epidemic, and personal stories of people who talk about their own experiences with stigma and how they overcame it to find help for themselves and others in a variety of settings.

 

 

 

 

 

Solutions and Tools focused on this objective.