Times Chronicle & Public Spirit
Eighth-grader wins Opioid Awareness contest
NORRISTOWN » Students across Montgomery County used a creative outlet to tackle the difficult, yet important topic of addiction.
Sixteen middle- and high school students participated in the 2022 Opioid Overdose Awareness Billboard Competition, according to Neda Soltani, overdose data to action coordinator for the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Drug and Alcohol.
The sixth annual contest aimed to cultivate artistic pieces that promote available resources to combat opioid addiction. “As some of us may already know, our overdose rates across the country are quite high,” Soltani said. “Overdose Montgomery County is no exception, and the majority of those overdoses involve opioids, and one path to heroin abuse and opioid abuse, in general, are prescription opioids. So this competition specifically focuses on a few things, prescription opioids.”
Soltani added that contest participants were tasked with creating a post that had a “positive message,” and listed the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s national hotline, which is 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
“This is a part of our larger effort, this is one way to get our kids, our young people involved in our overdose prevention efforts,” Soltani said.
Sallybeth McClasksey, an eighth-grade student at Perkiomen Middle School, took first prize.
“She is in fact our youngest competitor this year,” Soltani said, adding that, “I think it really hit all of our points very well.”
McClasksey and her mother attended the June 2 Montgomery County Board of Commissioners meeting where she was recognized for her work.
The image featured a group of people, some donning masks, using their phones. While the piece is set in neutral tones, the text and phones pop with blue.
“One of my main goals with the poster was to bring across a message that wasn’t very abrupt, and not necessarily wanting to make people shy away from it,” McClasksey said. “So I tried to write something that wasn’t threatening. That’s why I wrote ‘recovery can start with a call,’ because it’s more of a hopeful welcoming message.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh High School Sophomore Angelina Gallegos, and Senior Caroline Melillo, won second and third place in the billboard contest, respectively.
McClasksey’s artwork is slated to be featured on posters, which Soltani described as “slightly smaller billboards” in select locations in Collegeville, Norristown and Pottstown.
“Thank you for bringing her. I hope you’re really proud of your daughter,” said Montgomery County Commissioners’ Chairwoman Val Arkoosh during the June 2 board meeting.
For more information, visit the county’s overdose prevention website at www.montcopa. org/2289/Overdose-Prevention.