Luzerne County Council may spend $985,500 of opioid litigation settlement funds on yearlong advertising campaign

Luzerne County Council has been asked to spend $985,500 of the county’s opioid litigation settlement funds on a yearlong advertising campaign with Nexstar Media Group, which includes WBRE and WYOU TV.

Representatives of the media company presented the proposal during Tuesday’s council work session.

The agreement was recommended by the county’s new Commission on Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement, which must identify and recommend uses for $25 million the county is expected to receive over 18 years from the state’s settlement against opioid manufacturers and wholesale distributors.

Council has the final say on how the money is spent and must vote at a future meeting for a proposed contract to take effect.

Citizen Beth Hartman asked during public comment if the commission publicly sought proposals from other outside entities, such as advertising agencies, before making the recommendation.

County Manager Romilda Crocamo, who serves on the commission, said the panel did not advertise the work because the county’s human services division had prior contracts with WBRE/WYOU for public service advertisements.

Crocamo said “time is of the essence” because the county was informed it must earmark $1 million in settlement funds by the end of August to avoid returning them. These funds were awarded in 2022, she said.

Another $1 million in prior receipts must be earmarked by the end of this year, she said.

In total, the county has approximately $3 million in opioid funds available at this time, she said.

Council Chairman John Lombardo, who also serves on the commission, said the public awareness campaign was recommended as an initial project largely because the commission only recently got off the ground and does not want to return unspent funds.

The county can select from a lengthy list of allowable uses for the funds, with oversight by the Pennsylvania Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Trust established by the court.

Campaign specifics

Megan Mance, a multi-media account executive at the media company, said the proposed campaign addresses six goals in the opioid remediation plan tied to the settlement funds.

A synopsis of work the company proposes, according to her presentation:

• Student opioid awareness

A media campaign would invite students in county schools to submit public service announcements discouraging peers from using drugs. Videos would be submitted through its PAHomepage.com site and presented to the commission to select five nominees. A winner would be chosen through a campaign, and both the winning student and school would receive scholarships. The winning announcement would be aired during station broadcasts of high-end sporting events in 2025, including NFL, March Madness and college football games.

• Drug disposal awareness

The station would designate and publicize four drug take-back events in the year and assign reporters to do live broadcasts at locations selected by the county. In addition, it would create awareness videos to run throughout the year on television, Facebook and other social media.

• Connecting users with recovery

WBRE/WYOU and Eyewitness News would develop a series of messages airing in primetime (8 to 10 p.m.) connecting viewers to recovery services. The messages would include information from the county drug and alcohol department and open with, “It’s 8 p.m. Do you know who to call if you or someone you know has an opioid addiction?” Messages also would be produced to air on various station programs and streaming video applications highlighting county recovery centers and resources and educating viewers about life-saving medications, such as the antidote Narcan and methadone and other medication-assisted treatments.

• Heroes on the front line

WBRE/WYOU and Eyewitness News would develop 26 news segments and two 30-minute specials over 12 months featuring an EMT, first responder, teachers, police and others who have made a difference or saved the life of someone suffering from opioid substance use disorder.

• Opioid specials in primetime

The Eyewitness News team would produce and broadcast at least three local primetime specials focusing on the substance use disorder crisis.

• Paola’s Parenting Playbook

Paola Giangiacomo, host of Paola’s Parenting Playbook Eyewitness News segments, would host a four-part opioid special on keeping kids and teens safe from opioid use featuring experts and representatives from the county drug and alcohol department.

Mance said a large portion of the funds are “in digital space” to target youth, citing the company’s partnerships with Facebook, Snapchat and Google.

The company would provide the county with a live reporting dashboard and analytics documenting message delivery, she said.

Council reaction

Councilman Kevin Lescavage recalled the deterrent effectiveness of watching prison inmates in “Scared Straight” growing up, saying it “showed some nasty things” and depicted “real life.”

He believes the proposal now before council is a “great idea” but wonders about the content.

“I just hope we show some things that aren’t all so great either, that people get the right idea on what we’re trying to prevent because there’s lives turned upside down, families turned upside down,” Lescavage said.

He added, “Some bubbly videos sometimes don’t get the point across on how devastated these families become, and I think that’s an important point that has to be met when you’re spending money to get this point across. That’s just my opinion.”

Council Vice Chairman Brian Thornton praised the presentation and said the team’s “care and passion are obvious.”

He agreed with Lescavage that the content must be “hard for young people to look at” to get through. Thornton said the anti-smoking commercials from his youth were not effective, but the ones today are more “riveting” because they show people prematurely aged and battling health problems due to smoking.

“I hope these types of messages embrace that type of strategy because that’s what they need to see,” Thornton said.

Crocamo said she believes the first responders portion would be “more on the graphic side.”

The student-generated video also would connect with youth, she said, noting adults could scream nonstop from atop the courthouse about the dangers of drugs, but children “won’t listen to us.”

She noted the average age of experimentation with drugs has been lowered from 13 to 10.

Councilman Jimmy Sabatino questioned if the proposal should shift more advertising from television commercials to digital media to target youth, saying he “streams everything.”

Councilwoman Joanna Bryn Smith concurred, saying she relies on streaming and has not had cable television in at least a decade.

Andrew Wyatt, general manager of WBRE/WYOU, told council streaming will be covered and said modifications can be made if “certain digital tools are working better than others.”

Wyatt said the company can “deliver messages on all kinds of platforms,” citing additional examples of Tiktok and Reddit.

“It’s not only our news and our website. It’s a lot of other places to surround the community with these messages,” he said.

Councilwoman Patty Krushnowski suggested a catchy tune, saying jingles are memorable.

“A lot relate to music more than talking, especially for kids,” she said.

Wyatt said the budget may include funds for jingles that “get stuck in people’s head.”

Lombardo, a first-responder, said opioid use “transcends all social, economic and racial statuses.”

“I’ve been on calls dealing with overdoses for young children to people in their 60s,” Lombardo said. “I think this is a great example of trying to reach out to all of them.”

Commission background

The commission was activated in May with council’s appointment of citizen Mary Butera, who serves along with Lombardo, Crocamo, county District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce, county Drug and Alcohol Administrator Ryan Hogan, county Human Services Division Head Lynn Hill and county Correctional Services Division Head James Wilbur.

The commission has taken the position that its meetings are not public because it is advisory and not a decision-making body.

Although council was awaiting commission recommendations for settlement spending, it agreed last year to use a portion of the funds to pay for a county prison system medication-assisted treatment program for inmates experiencing opioid withdrawal. That program was estimated at $377,000 last year and $450,000 in 2024.

County prisons are now required by the state to provide such programs. Inmates increasingly enter the prison with substance use disorder and mental health issues, officials have said.

During Tuesday’s work session, Councilwoman Brittany Stephenson urged council to consider adding another council member to the commission.

Smith agreed, saying other colleagues have experience with substance use disorder and should “be in the nucleus at the heart of the issue.”

Lombardo emphasized the full council must review all commission recommendations and has the option to reject any.

In public comment, Ross Township resident Jamie Walsh said a campaign should include resources for the friends and family of opioid users.

Walsh reiterated the loss of his brother last year from an opioid overdose involving Fentanyl. He has said his brother’s addiction started with a prescription after knee surgery 20 years ago.

Getting choked up, he shared an additional detail Tuesday that his nephew discovered his brother’s deceased body and was so distraught he committed suicide 10 days later.

“He found him, and because of that he ended his life,” Walsh said.

He also suggested educating people on how to report doctors suspected of overprescribing opioids.