WAUSAU, Wis. – Today, Attorney General Brad Schimel announced the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) is now offering a Dose of Reality to Native American Tribal Communities on the dangers of misusing opioid and narcotic pain medications. In addition to customized brochures, flyers, and posters, online advertisements will run throughout the summer, targeted at young tribal members and their influencers – parents, caregivers and elders.
“Here’s a dose of reality: nonmedical use of opioids in Native American youth occurs two-to-three times more than with other ethnic groups,” said Attorney General Schimel. “I’m excited to partner with tribal communities to bring this new phase of Dose of Reality, and equip tribal communities with tools and resources to prevent opioid abuse.”
The Dose of Reality’s success is due to strong partnerships with organizations like the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), which helped develop and launch the opioid abuse prevention campaign in 2015.
“There is not a community in this state that isn’t touched by the opioid crisis, including the Wisconsin tribal communities. These tools help tribes address the epidemic in a way that is unique to their specific needs and challenges,” said Paul Krupski, DHS Director of Opioid Initiatives.
Marshfield Clinic Health System, Alliance for Wisconsin Youth, and Northwoods Coalition – Wisconsin’s largest and oldest coalition dedicated to substance abuse prevention – assisted in the creation, messaging, and design of the Dose of Reality tribal community materials.
“Feedback gathered through community conversations and listening sessions led to the development of new Dose of Reality materials that can be used in Native American communities. Messaging places the importance on culture as prevention,” said Danielle Luther, Manger – Alcohol & Drug Programs, Marshfield Clinic Health System. “Marshfield Clinic Health System – Center for Community Health Advancement has dedicated staff to focus on learning and supporting the Native American tribes as they focus on substance abuse prevention.”
Dose of Reality, is a statewide prevention campaign designed to raise awareness about prescription drug abuse and its effect on the opioid epidemic. The campaign was launched in September 2015, and has prevention messages for the medical community, students, coaches, parents, educators, employers, and now, tribal communities. The Dose of Reality campaign has also been adopted and deployed statewide in Arkansas, Georgia, Maine, Minnesota, and Nebraska.
