A new ad campaign is taking a different approach in encouraging parents to talk about the dangers of drugs with their children, telling them to “drop the f-bomb.” However, the “f” stands for fentanyl.
The campaign was released by Ad Council and Meta Platforms Inc., and comes as drug overdose deaths hit a record high in the U.S. last year. At the heart of the overdose epidemic was an increased use, both knowingly and unknowingly, of synthetic opioids.
Among the most potent and dangerous of the drugs is fentanyl, which is often sold to drug users who think they are purchasing something else, like Percocet, Xanax, and Adderall. Fentanyl is also often found mixed into heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine.
Ad Council, a nonprofit that produces public-service campaigns in the U.S., uses time and space from different media outlets to share its ads which have been made on numerous topics, like racial justice and gun safety.
The nonprofit shared that young Americans, ages 13 to 24, misuse prescription medicines, citing anxiety and stress as the reason why. However, many are not aware of the risk of fentanyl being present in those drugs.
The campaign from Ad Council will begin rolling out on Wednesday, with videos of parents talking with their kids about fentanyl and the risk that it brings. Michelle Hillman, the chief campaign development officer for the nonprofit shared with the Wall Street Journal that as the drug becomes a bigger issue, knowledge is the best preventative.
“Fentanyl is becoming more prevalent, overdose deaths are becoming more prevalent, and kids and parents don’t have the information,” Hillman told the Journal.
In one video from the campaign, a father tells his daughter that he is “about to go drop the F-bomb” before discussing the dangers of the opioid. The video, and others, will be displayed on Meta social-media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram starting this week.
Ad Council is also looking to expand the campaign beyond Meta owned platforms, with hopes of displaying the ads on other websites in the future. The ads come as Hillman says parents are reluctant to discuss substance abuse with their kids.
“They really have to do it immediately because it just takes one time for something to happen,” Hillman said. “The amount of stories that we’re all hearing in our communities is just increasing every day.”
The ad videos encourage parents to visit dropthefbomb.com to find facts about fentanyl, tips for discussing the drug, and instructions on how to use the opioid overdose reversal medication naloxone.
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