Deschutes County Health Services launches public awareness campaign to prevent opioid-related overdoses

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Deschutes County Health Services launched on Wednesday a countywide campaign, Friends for Life, intended to raise public awareness about opioid and fentanyl use and to help prevent opioid-related overdoses in the community.

"The opioid crisis has had a huge impact on communities across the U.S. and the state of Oregon, including right here in Deschutes County,” said Overdose Prevention and Response Strategist Ana Woodburn. “Our hope with the Friends for Life campaign is to give the public the resources they need to know the signs of an opioid overdose and what they can do to help reverse one.”

Through the Friends for Life campaign, the public can find information about fentanyl and other opioids, learn tips on how to prevent an overdose and how to recognize when someone is experiencing one, as well as where to get Naloxone (Narcan) and how to use it to reverse on opioid overdose.

The campaign includes advertisements developed by the county's partners in Washington state. The ads, with a primary audience of people between the ages of 25 and 55, are offered in both English and Spanish across a multitude of communication platforms, including social media, radio, television, and outdoor advertising, such as billboards.

The Friends for Life campaign is expected to run until the end of 2025. For more information about the campaign, please visit FriendsforLifeDeschutes.org or AmigosdeporVidaDeschutes.org

Overdose data is available through the Oregon Health Authority’s Overdose Prevention Data Dashboard.