CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey's office has announced the start of it’s sixth Kids Kick Opioids contest, a public service announcement partnership with elementary and middle schools that encourages students to raise awareness of prescription painkiller abuse.
Kids Kick Opioids has drawn more than 14,400 entries since its inception. The sixth contest launched this month with the mailing of entry forms and details to schools and superintendents across West Virginia.
“Every year, the Kids Kick Opioids contest exposes the immeasurable talent and creativity of the students in our elementary and middle schools,” Morrisey said in a press release. “Their entries viscerally demonstrate that the opioid epidemic resonates in classrooms across West Virginia. Kids Kick Opioids gives students an outlet to express their concerns, while using the creativity and talent of all participants to raise awareness of the epidemic.”
The contest provides an opportunity for students to learn the dangers of prescription painkiller abuse. It has also given many an outlet to express the personal impact of opioid abuse upon their lives and that of their loved ones.
Students can work individually or in groups. Submissions may include drawings, poems, letters or anything that would promote awareness.
The winning entry will appear as a statewide newspaper PSA. Regional winners will be displayed in the state Capitol.
Thousands of West Virginians have lost their lives to a drug overdose, many of which were opioid related.
Reversing this trend has been a top priority for Morrisey. His office has fought the epidemic on multiple fronts, including a lawsuit against the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration that achieved sweeping reforms to the nation’s drug quota system.
Morrisey's office also has battled the opioid crisis with civil litigation, multistate initiatives, funding to target opioid abuse, criminal prosecutions, new technology, engagement with the faith-based community and education.
Contest entries must be postmarked by May 6 by mail to the Attorney General’s Office at 1900 Kanawha Blvd. E., State Capitol Building 1, Room 26-E, Charleston, WV 25305, or sent by email to AGPSA.contest@wvago.gov.