Mid-Shore Launches ‘I Wish I Knew’ Drug Awareness Campaign

The Mid-Shore region has launched a campaign to prevent opioid misuse. The “I Wish I Knew” campaign, which was launched at a press conference with elected officials, police and health officials,  includes an educational component to help spread information and open dialogue. As reported on My Eastern Shore MD:

[Queen Anne’s County Commission President Jim] Moran said, “I am pleased to kick start a campaign that is near and dear to my heart, and that is bringing to light the drug problem we face here on the Mid-Shore.” He referenced a recent National Institutes of Health statistic that estimate that 9.4 million Americans are on prescription opiates, and 2.1 million of those are clinically addicted. Four out of five Heroin addicts started using opiates with a legal prescription.

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Funding for the I Wish I Knew Midshore educational campaign was provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration on the federal level and by Maryland Behavioral Health Administration at the state level.

“This is an unprecedented opportunity for our community,” said Kelley L. Allen, owner of Soul Candy Media, which created the campaign to educate the public about ease with which someone can become addicted to opiates such as heroin. “Nearly everyone has been affected by heroin or prescription pills — we need to keep talking about it and working to change our culture.

For more information read the full article on My Eastern Shore MD or visit www.IWishIKnewMidShore.org.

Opioid misuse prevention will be discussed at the MACo Summer Conference in the session “From the Front Lines: Tackling Opioid Misuse in Maryland.” The session will be held from 2:15 pm – 3:15 pm on Friday, August 14, 2015. The MACo Summer Conference will be held August 12-15 at the Roland Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, Maryland.

Learn more about MACo’s Summer Conference:

For a schedule of educational sessions at MACo’s Summer Conference, please view the Registration Brochure.

Questions? Contact Meetings & Events Director Virginia White.