Only when confronted with real people lost to overdoses do people understand their own vulnerability to addiction.

The first step in fighting a crisis is facing it. We took that to task, literally. Enlisting the precision of a CNC machine, we etched faces of 22,000 overdose victims onto pills to create an emotionally-riveting traveling memorial. Then we teamed awareness with action: We developed Warn Me labels for insurance cards, demanding accountability from the people filling America’s opioid prescriptions, distributed Stericycle envelopes to promote proper disposal of unused opioids, and promoted progressive public policy directives to enact real change.

“Prescribed to Death” opened in Chicago at heavily-covered launch events attended by prominent politicians and health professionals. The public confronted the wall, connecting with the 22,000 victims’ faces carved on opioid pills. Every 24 minutes, an on-site CNC machine carved another victim’s face on a new pill. We recreated three victims’ bedrooms, where visitors could see their personal belongings and speak with surviving loved ones. Visitors received free Warn Me labels to apply to insurance and pharmacy cards, and Stericycle envelopes for proper disposal of unused prescription opioids.

The Memorial made a stop before 3,000+ global health officials attending the National Rx and Heroin Summit in Atlanta. NSC received the ultimate invitation from the White House, Department of Interior, and the National Park Service to visit Washington, D.C. NSC released its landmark “Prescription Nation” study on the epidemic, and once in Washington, proposed model legislation.

“Prescribed to Death” has established NSC as a leader in the fight against prescription opioid overdose. Public relations is leading a nation from awareness of an opioid epidemic to understanding, conversation and bipartisan commitment and action.

SHAPING PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY:

•The U.S. Congress has pledged $4 billion to address the crisis.

•NSC has released “Prescription Nation 2018,” a landmark study offering a state-by-state assessment of steps being taken to combat the epidemic, as well as model legislation, recommending six key actions that state governments could take -- generating bipartisan support and heavy Beltway media coverage.

•First Lady Melania Trump; the U.S. Surgeon General and the Attorney General; and Secretaries of Labor, Energy, Health & Human Services, Education, and Interior, along with members of Congress, have spoken at or toured the Memorial -- many tweeting on social.

SPARKING PUBLIC CONVERSATION, PERCEPTION AND BEHAVIOR CHANGE:

•Social conversation grew 891% during Memorial stops; 3663% following Washington visit announcement.

•1,021,000 million Warn Me labels and 8,500 Stericycle envelopes are in use, with millions in production.

•95% of Memorial visitors said they now feel comfortable talking to a friend/relative about the dangers of opioid use; 60% have a major concern about prescription pain medication as a potential cause of injury or death in their family; 90% would be very willing to ask their doctor for alternatives to opioids.

PROVING THAT THE FIRST STEP IN COMBATTING A CRISIS IS FACING IT:

•12,990,351 million video views

•2,455,606,809 billion earned media impressions

•2,017% increase in shared Facebook impressions

While 87% of the U.S. understands that the country is in the midst of the worst drug crisis in its history, Americans don’t recognize the root of the problem: prescription opioids. Citizens blame addicts and illegal drug users while remaining unconcerned that they or their loved ones could fall victim to opioid abuse. In a situation where awareness and education were literally a matter of life and death, PR found a dramatic way to humanize the issue of opioid abuse with a far-reaching earned-media-driven campaign that has led directly to U.S. policymakers and the White House.

“Prescribed to Death” humanized the devastating effects of opioids through a massive memorial that dramatically depicted the faces and stories of 22,000 annual victims of opioid overdose. Targeting household health decision makers and pain sufferers, we publicized the overlooked facts and promoted positive action the public could take.

PR drove foot traffic to the memorial and created widespread awareness through earned media channels. Localized digital billboards, urban panels, and bus shelters reached consumers in their daily lives, while a powerful video PSA on the memorial generated national attention and social engagement. We even targeted medical offices through digital TV and living wallboards, and intercepted consumers during online health and wellness searches.

Then we mobilized our message, taking “Prescribed to Death” on the road, targeting U.S. cities profoundly affected by the opioid crisis, and created a groundswell that ultimately took us all the way to Washington policymakers.

With its mission to eliminate preventable deaths in America, the National Safety Council (NSC) is facing a killer of unprecedented magnitude. The opioid crisis is the worst drug epidemic in U.S. history. Although 87% of Americans consider it a crisis, 40% don’t believe prescription pain medication is a threat to their family.

But the facts are chilling: over 22,000 Americans die from a prescription opioid overdose every year — one every 24 minutes. 33% of prescription opioid users don’t know they’re taking opioids. And opioids are in 3 out of 5 homes.

What Americans didn’t know was killing them.

NSC needed a dramatic way to: 1) Bring America to face-to-face with this urgent public health crisis and spark a national conversation 2) Dismantle misconceptions about opioids and provide a clear action for consumers to take to protect themselves 3) Influence public health policymakers to urgently address the problem.