The contest, called "Kids Kick Opioids," engages participants in designing a public service announcement. Potential submissions may be a poem, cartoon drawing, letter or anything that would promote awareness.
“Awareness and prevention of opioid abuse is a top priority,” Morrisey said in a statement. “Educating and including young people in the discussion can go a long way in preventing future use and hopefully alleviating one of our state’s biggest problems.”
Students can work individually or in groups. The top submission will appear as the Attorney General’s next statewide newspaper PSA. Regional winners will be displayed in the state Capitol.
West Virginia has the third highest opioid prescribing rate in the country. It also has the nation’s highest drug overdose death rate and 10 of its counties rank among the deadliest nationwide for prescription drug overdoses.
Reversing that trend has been a top priority for the Attorney General. He has fought the epidemic on multiple fronts with criminal prosecutions, increased funding, education, civil litigation, multi-state initiatives, new technology and engagement with the faith-based community.
In August, the Attorney General finalized best practices aimed at eradicating prescription drug abuse by better equipping the state’s prescribers and pharmacists which was adopted for use at West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine’s Robert C. Byrd Clinic.
Entries must be submitted by Oct. 11 by mail to the Attorney General’s Office at 1900 Kanawha Blvd. E. State Capitol Building, Room 26-E, or sent by email to AGPSAcontest@wvago.gov.