Broadcasters Launching New Drug-Free Campaign

Local radio and TV broadcasters will undertake a national effort to address heroin and prescription drug abuse that is impacting communities across America, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) announced at a press conference on Capitol Hill Tuesday.

NAB has teamed with the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids (Partnership), a national nonprofit committed to helping families struggling with their son or daughter’s substance use, on a multi-faceted campaign through the end of 2017 to raise awareness about the rising opioid epidemic.

Driven by abuse of prescription painkillers, opioid addiction has soared in recent years, particularly among teens and young adults. Every day in the U.S., 2,500 youth (12- to 17-year-olds) abuse a prescription pain reliever for the first time. An addiction to legally prescribed pain medication has led many people to heroin, a cheaper and more easily available alternative. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 45 percent of people who used heroin were also addicted to prescription opioid painkillers. Deaths from opioid abuse increased 248 percent between 2010 and 2014, with 78 Americans now dying every day from an opioid overdose.

Gordon Smith

At Tuesday’s press conference, NAB highlighted news coverage that local and network radio and TV broadcasters have devoted to bringing awareness to the opioid crisis. In addition to regular news programming, in the past year broadcasters have produced and aired documentaries, in-depth investigations, and town hall forums on the impact of the epidemic on local communities. CBS TV Network, ABC-owned TV stations and iHeartMedia have also carried more than $15 million in Partnership for Drug-Free Kids anti-opioid PSA messaging in the last year, and broadcasters such as NBC, FOX, Univision, Telemundo and hundreds of other local TV and radio stations have devoted enormous resources to this issue.

NAB announced today that broadcasters will:

• Air Partnership-produced public service announcements (PSAs) directing viewers and listeners to life-saving resources;
• Develop long-form programming and special news reports, as well as hold town hall meetings and provide critical information online;  
• Develop a printed and online toolkit for broadcast stations across the country on facts and statistics related to the epidemic, and ideas for prevention, programming and community outreach;
• Produce and distribute new PSAs in conjunction with NAB’s bi-annual Congressional PSA Campaign.

"As first informers in times of crisis, broadcasters understand the power of the public airwaves to educate Americans about dangers affecting their lives,” said NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith. “Today, we are pledging those airwaves and other resources to combating an epidemic that has touched the lives of millions of our citizens. We’re proud to join with the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids in finding solutions to opioid addiction, and in making a positive difference for families across America."