Several substance use disorder campaigns were used as strategies to help educate and promote our efforts for prevention and overdose awareness through purchased news ads, radio and digital ads and social media use. These were the "More Powerful NC" Campaign, the CDC's "Rx Awareness" Campaign, and the "Lock Your Meds" Campaign. Opioid-related overdose deaths in North Carolina have doubled in the past ten years alone, and the problem only continues to grow and devastate lives.

Created by the North Carolina Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services to raise awareness of the scope and danger of the opioid crisis, and as a call for action that North Carolinians can rally behind, the “More Powerful” campaign is anchored in the message that together, we are more powerful than opioids, and we can all help play a part in ending the epidemic. The campaign outlines real, actionable steps for the safe storage, use and disposal of pain medications, as well as resources for finding treatment and recovery support.

The CDC's "Rx Awareness" Campaign was created as a priority to raise awareness that prescription opioids can be addictive and dangerous, which led to the development of an evidence-based, audience-driven communications campaign (series of videos featuring individuals living in recovery from opioid use disorder as well as family members who have lost someone to prescription opioid overdose), that could resonate with those at risk for prescription opioid misuse and overdose. Research findings suggested that the campaign messages had the potential to not only affect awareness and knowledge but also to influence actions.

The "Lock Your Meds"® is a national multi-media campaign designed to reduce prescription drug abuse by making adults aware that they are the “unwitting suppliers” of prescription medications being used in unintended ways, especially by young people. Produced by National Family Partnership®(NFP), the campaign includes a wide array of high-quality advertisements, posters, educational materials, publicity opportunities,  interactive games and slide show presentations, and this website, where visitors can learn more and ask questions.

The progress for this strategy is reported in the 2023 SOTCH report.

We continued to promote medication safety through education about overdose awareness, prevention of accidental poisoning, and safe disposal of unused, unwanted, or expired medications to individuals during outreach events. We also provided individuals with medication lock boxes as requested along with the educational materials for the Lock Your Meds Campaign. We continue to collaborate with Robeson Health Care Corporation in these efforts to help distribute the campaign materials and lock boxes and inform the public where there are permanent Medication Drop Box locations - City of Laurinburg Police Department, Scotland County's Sheriff's Office and now at Wagram Town Hall.  Discussions are underway to place a permanent Medication Drop Box in Gibson, NC sometime in 2025. The "Rx Awareness" Campaign ads (radio, digital and print) continue to be used to promote overdose awareness and prevention efforts.

As for the Substance Use Disorder Campaigns such as the "Lock Your Meds," the "Rx Awareness", and the "More Powerful" campaigns - these were promoted through our social media and purchased ads with local pharmacies and our local newspaper, The Laurinburg Exchange, along with purchased ads for a Calendar distributed throughout Scotland and Richmond Counties. These campaigns were also mentioned in several of our radio programs and PSA's on WLNC 95.1 FM and WEWO 92.5 FM throughout the year.