OpioId Awareness
The “It’s Our Problem Too” campaign focuses on multiple aspects of wellness, including mental health, community support, and education on substance abuse prevention and treatment. By partnering with local health departments, community organizations, and healthcare providers, the campaign aims to create a comprehensive support system.
WHAT WE KNOW
The rate of increase in drug overdose deaths among underserved Community Members between 2015–2016 was 40 percent, compared to a 21 percent increase in the overall population. In 2018, an estimated 1.2 million individuals within this group and 10.3 million people nationally, aged 12 and older, were reported to have engaged in opioid misuse during the previous year. This represented a higher rate than that of all other population groups in the United States at the time. Because of this, the NAAMWA provides an opioid awareness campaign that uses accessible messaging and clear visual elements to highlight the status of opioid misuse within underserved Community Members and to offer education on how to support individuals experiencing challenges with opioid addiction. In addition to the awareness campaign, a network of treatment centers and mental health services has been established to ensure that those in need have access to appropriate support and care.
OUR PROGRAM
HOW WE HELP
Underserved communities have seen a 214% increase in opioid overdose deaths in the past decade, highlighting the urgency of our It’s Our Problem Too Initiative. This program focuses on addressing the opioid dependency crisis within those communities. By us providing education, resources, and support, we aim to combat addiction and promote recovery, emphasizing that opioid dependency is a collective issue requiring collective action.
This includes offering educational workshops, mental health resources, and connecting individuals with treatment programs. We are committed to reducing the impact of the opioid crisis on men in underserved communities fostering a healthier, more informed community by:
We organize community resource fairs in local neighborhoods and housing developments. Fair attendees participate in community conversations, learn about naloxone distribution and education, and access critical resources.
We organize community Narcan trainings and distribution in barbershops, salons, churches, corner stores, local businesses, and plazas in the heart of high-risk communities.
We develop a resource guide to highlight safe syringe disposal, naloxone distribution, fentanyl test strips, and treatment facilities. We distribute these guides in barbershops, salons, churches, community organizations, and directly to residents.
We break the stigma through a special campaign by sharing prevention education, resources, and testimonials both online and throughout the community.
Get Involved
You can make a difference in the health and safety of your community. Here’s how:
Bring “It’s Our Problem Too” to your city:
Arm your community against the fight against the opioid epidemic. Contact Sierra McGaha, Program Director, at smcgaha@ncusolutions.com to get started.
Take the Opioid Awareness Community pledge:
Affirm your commitment to raising awareness for substance abuse within the community.
Sign up for texts from AAMWA:
Stay in the loop on AAMWA volunteer opportunities, events, news, and more! Register Now
Take The Pledge
Black People are dying from Opioid Overdoses in our community ad we are here to spread awareness and fight the crisis together.
“The number of fentanyl-related accidental overdose deaths among African American residents of Franklin County was 2 and a half times greater in 2020 than in 2018.”
