‘Denial, Ohio’ campaign effective, survey finds

Many Ohio parents and caregivers are still living in “Denial, Ohio” when it comes to whether their children could be affected by prescription opioid abuse, but a new survey shows that is changing thanks to an ad campaign.

The Ohio Opioid Education Alliance, a coalition of more than 80 public and private organizations formed by the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board of Franklin County, announced Thursday the results of a survey measuring the effectiveness of its “Don’t Live in Denial, Ohio” advertising campaign.

The multimedia campaign, launched in June 2018, introduced viewers to the fictional town of Denial, Ohio, where parents don’t believe their kids could be affected by the state’s opioid crisis.

The ad’s goal was twofold, said Chad Jester, president of the Nationwide Foundation, which is the group’s primary fundraiser: get parents talking about opioid abuse and educate people about proper disposal of opioids.

The survey was completed by Fallon Research & Communications Inc., a Columbus public opinion research and polling firm, through 1,000 telephone interviews of Ohio adults with at least one child living at home. Half of the interviewees resided in one of 20 central Ohio counties; the rest reside in other parts of the state.

Overall, Jester said, the ads were successful in reaching their target audience.

The survey found nearly 50% of parents in central Ohio and about 25% of parents in other parts of the state recalled seeing the ad campaign.

The ads were also effective in getting parents to talk with their kids about the dangers of prescription opioids, with 57% saying they had discussed the topic.

Just over half of parents and caregivers surveyed also said they are more cautious now when disposing of unused opioids and prescription painkillers.

Yet, more than 66% of parents and caregivers surveyed said they don’t believe opioids are a very big problem within their communities, which may result in complacency.

Only 8.4% of the people surveyed said they were very concerned that their children might abuse unused prescription painkillers at home. And fewer than half of parents characterized it as a “very big” problem, suggesting only a modest degree of concern.

The survey comes at a time when fatal drug overdoses in Ohio last year declined for the first time since 2009, with deaths dropping 22% in 2018 but with Franklin County logging the largest overdose death toll in the state and up 10% from 2017.

Jester said there’s still a long way to go, but he’s optimistic.

“This issue has been going on for two decades, and it’s not going to turn quickly,” he said.