ES 3. Inform, Educate, and Empower People About
Health Issues

Core Function: Policy Development

ES 3 includes the following types of public health activities:

• Health information, education, and promotion activities designed to reduce health risks and promote improved health
• Health communication plans and activities, such as media advocacy and social marketing of accessible health information and educational resources
• Health education and health promotion program partnerships with schools, faith-based communities, work sites, personal care providers, and others to implement and reinforce health promotion programs and message

Many local, statewide, and national health education and health promotion activities aim to build people’s knowledge, shape their attitudes, and inform their decision-making choices to prevent first use, misuse, and/or abuse of substances, including opioids. Building on these existing efforts can be an efficient and effective approach for local public health.

Statewide Health Education and Promotion Resources

• You Think You Know CT | Prevention, Education & Resources
  https://www.youthinkyouknowct.org/
• Change the Script is a statewide campaign in Connecticut that connects town leaders, healthcare professionals, treatment professionals, and individuals with the resources they need to face prescription drugs and opioid misuse – and write a new story about what we can accomplish when we all work toward a shared goal. The campaign provides useful, materials anchored by a consistent message to help address the opioid crisis at the most local levels. Change the Script materials can be downloaded by local health departments and edited to include individualized branding. https://www.drugfreect.org/prevention-and-intervention/change-the-script-campaign/
• Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) provides information on a wide range of prescription drug and heroin prevention and treatment resources, as well as informational posters and training videos. https://www.ct.gov/dmhas/cwp/view.asp?a=2902&q=560348   
• DMHAS also supports suicide prevention and response initiatives with partners around the state. For resources and public information materials, go to https://www.preventsuicidect.org/  
• Connecticut Clearinghouse is a statewide library and resource center for information on substance use and mental health disorders, prevention and health promotion, treatment and recovery, wellness and other related topics. Materials are available for Connecticut families, teachers, students, professionals, communities and children. Trainings as well as an email list-serv are provided. https://www.ctclearinghouse.org/

National Health Education and Promotion Activities

• Facts About Fentanyl: Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It is a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the U.S. 
  Fentanyl 2022 Drug Fact Sheet
  Fentanyl_Fact_Sheet_508c
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Opioids Basics Portal provides a gateway to information for the public and public health and healthcare professionals. https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/opioids/index.html
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)’s publications page has educational products, apps and other resources on opioid misuse and related topic areas. https://store.samhsa.gov/
• The CDC Rx Awareness campaign shares the real stories of people whose lives were torn apart by prescription opioids. The goal of the campaign is to increase awareness that prescription opioids can be addictive and dangerous. The campaign also strives to decrease the number of individuals who use opioids recreationally or overuse them. https://www.cdc.gov/rxawareness/index.html
• The Journey Recovery Project is an interactive web resource for pregnant and parenting women who have questions or concerns about opioid and other substance use. The Journey Recovery Project focuses on the stories of women with lived experience, offering information, hope, encouragement, and resources for every step of their perinatal journey. With videos, informational slideshows, resource links, and worksheets, The Journey Project seeks to empower and inform women about opioid and other substance use and pregnancy.  https://www.journeyrecoveryproject.com/#/home
• Truth is a tobacco and opioid public education and prevention campaign funded by Truth Initiative®  and built in collaboration with the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Ad Council. The website has compelling videos, general facts, tips and resources on the opioid epidemic. https://opioids.thetruth.com/o/home

Opioid Materials in Other Languages

Local health departments should assure that available health services are culturally and linguistically appropriate for populations in their jurisdiction.

• CDC offers two informational sheets on pregnancy and opioid use in Spanish.
  https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/pdf/pregnancy_opioid_pain_factsheet-esp-a.pdf and https://www.cdc.gov/pregnancy/spanish/opioids/ 
• CDC offers an informational sheet on Naloxone in Spanish.
  https://www.cdc.gov/spanish/mediosdecomunicacion/comunicados/p_vs_naloxona_080619.html 
• SAMHSA offers information on Buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid addiction in Spanish.
  https://store.samhsa.gov/system/files/sma10-4442spanish.pdf 
• SAMHSA offers an opioid overdose prevention toolkit in Spanish with opioid epidemic data, five essential steps for First Aid providers, information for prescribers, information for families, and information on recuperating from an opioid overdose.
  https://store.samhsa.gov/system/files/sma18-4742spanish.pdf 
• SAMHSA hosts an information sheet in Spanish that describes how to find quality treatment for individuals with substance use disorders.
  https://store.samhsa.gov/system/files/pep18-treatment-locs.pdf

Anti-Stigma

An important priority with substance use disorders (SUD) is to reshape attitudes and reduce the stigma associated with individuals who suffer from these disorders and other behavioral health conditions. Activities designed to reduce risk, promote improved health for those with SUD, and improve the sensitivities and competencies of professionals interacting with those with SUD are critically important. The following health information, education, and promotion resources provide some tips. 

• SAMHSA’s Words Matter: How Language Choice Can Reduce Stigma describes the role of language in perpetuating substance use disorder stigma. It includes tips for assessing when and how we may be using stigmatizing language, and steps for ensuring that the language we use and messages we deliver are positive, productive, and inclusive SAMHSA-sud-stigma-tool
• Changing the Narrative, a network of reporters, researchers, academics, and advocates, provides sources to help media and opinion leaders better represent drug use and addiction, including assistance with common stigmatizing language. https://www.changingthenarrative.news/

Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution for the Public

Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that blocks the effects of opioids such as heroin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, codeine, and methadone. In Connecticut, Naloxone can be requested at any pharmacy with staff who have been trained/certified to prescribe and dispense Naloxone directly to customers requesting it. 

• NORA –Naloxone + Overdose Response App is a free app from the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) that provides information on opioids, recognizing the symptoms of a suspected overdose and instructions on administering Naloxone, including legal protections. The NORA app also provides the ability to type in a zip code and be linked to pharmacies that are supplying Naloxone.  https://egov.ct.gov/norasaves/#/HomePage
• Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution Program at CT DPH is a pilot program that is distributing intra-nasal naloxone (Narcan©), along with opioid overdose prevention education, to opioid users and trusted people in their lives such as family, friends, and staff of human services programs. www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view.asp?a=3137&q=570548
• Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection hosts a map of pharmacies with staff certified to prescribe naloxone. https://portal.ct.gov/DCP/Drug-Control-Division/Drug-Control/Naloxone-Pharmacies  
• CT DPH hosts a fact sheet, Fentanyl Testing to Prevent Overdose, that provides an overview of Fentanyl test strips (‘FTS’) and Connecticut resources. https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/Departments-and-Agencies/DPH/AIDS–Chronic-Diseases/Prevention/DPH_FentanylTestStrips.pdf?la=en
• CT Center for Harm Reduction, a division of AIDS Connecticut, provides an overview of and resources on Naloxone/Narcan™ proper use and protocols. http://www.naloxone-ct.org/overdose-prevention.html