Project Opioid launches Central Florida campaign aimed at tackling overdose deaths

A new campaign throughout Central Florida aims to make it easier for people struggling with addiction to get help during the pandemic. 

Project Opioid’s Everyone Campaign will run billboards, public service announcements and social media adverts aimed at getting people help with addiction. 

Project Opioid CEO Andrae Bailey says these advertisements will hopefully prompt people struggling with addiction along with their loved ones to go to everyonecampaign.org and sign up to be connected with free recovery resources. 

“If they go to the website, they can directly sign up for ‘get Narcan’ and have it sent to them," Bailey says. Narcan is a nasal spray application of naloxone, an opioid-overdose antidote.

"Right now, a lot of folks again are being cognizant during the COVID-19 pandemic of social distancing and we are cognizant of that so they can sign up, get narcan, and have it shipped right to them.”

Bailey says the website also has a search function that makes it easy to find nearby mental health care providers. 

Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma says that along with these resources the website will help people battling addiction feel less alone. 

“One, it’s going to let you know that you’re not alone, that we see you. Right? That that society recognizes the struggle that you’re in," Lemma says. "Two, if I have a family member or somebody I care deeply about at home, and I see this, I’m going to go to this website. And if I go to the Project Opioid website, I’m going to walk away much more informed about what’s going on, and the resources that are available to me.”

The rate of drug overdoses increased by 28 percent in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties in April 2021 compared with the same time the previous year 

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