New $3.6 million prevention campaign in KY: Life is better without drugs

The Kentucky Opioid Abatement Commission approved the state’s top law enforcement official to spend millions of dollars on a social media campaign targeted to prevent youth drug use throughout the commonwealth.

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman proposed spending $3.6 million over two years to build a “gold standard prevention initiative” targeting youth that emphasizes drug-free messages via social media and in schools.

The initiative, which has a three-pronged approach, is known as the “Better Without It” campaign, and is designed to “empower Generation Z to choose a substance-free life,” Coleman told commission members on Tuesday.

The initiative includes a marketing campaign, promoting a drug-free message in school programs, and amplifying the commission’s work.

Coleman said the campaign’s components will be digital-first featuring mobile games, ads on streaming services, heavy social media presence, and influencer partnerships.

A large chunk of the money delegated for the campaign is to help the state pay for the usage of influencers’ name, image and likeness.

Coleman said long said Kentucky’s “three-legged stool” to combat the drug epidemic was wobbly on the prevention leg.

“We live in a time where one little pill can and is killing our neighbors,” Coleman told the 11-member board. “We live in a time where there is no margin for error. There is no such thing as safe — or concept or notion — of safe experimentation with narcotics.”

The “Better Without It” campaign is modeled after a Florida campaign called Central Florida Cares, and will target 13- to 26-year-olds.

However, the state campaign will be Kentucky-centric featuring state artists or creative partners to “bring the cool factor.”

“I am confident we have built a proposal that will reach the young people with the right message with the right messenger,” Coleman said.

In reference to making the “campaign cool,” a Florida marketing staffer said they’ve employed “colors and styles that speak to this generation,” including “Gen Z yellow” (think mustard yellow.)

Gen Z is also active in making the content that the campaign will share.

The team who spoke to the commission presented metrics of their social media outreach, which includes Gen Z surveys and focus groups. Some of these metrics included 5 million teens who were “reached” with ads and content,, as well as 15 million video views.

But the presentation did not include any examples of a social media ad or videos.

Despite this, the board unanimously voted to support Coleman’s prevention proposal, and lauded the idea.

Created in 2022, the Kentucky commission is charged with doling a portion of the state’s nearly $900 million in opioid lawsuit settlement money to addiction prevention and mitigation efforts.

Jason Roop, an addiction researcher and commission board member said the idea was “encouraging.”

“What was shared today was an initiative of empowerment,” Roop said. “Attorney General Coleman, I applaud you for finding this resource and helping it to come to fruition.”

Board member Karen Kelly said Coleman’s heart is in prevention.

“We need to reach our kids,” Kelly said.