Topic: Public Health Communication About Drugs & Addiction Instructions: First,

Topic: Public Health Communication About Drugs & Addiction
Instructions: First, review the Background section below including the embedded links. Next, answer Questions 1 through 4 (below). Finally, reply to at least one post by a peer (note: you will not be able to read any posts until you complete and submit your post first).
Grading: Each of the four questions in Part 2 is worth up to 4 points each and the reply to a peer (Part 3) is worth up to 4 points for a total of 20 possible points earned in this assignment. Partial credit may be given as appropriate.
Part 1: Background
Effective public health communication strategies are critical in informing the public of any health risk, whether it’s an infectious disease pandemic like COVID-19 or an overdose epidemic. When communicating about drug use and addiction, word choice should be carefully considered to prevent stigma and harm.
Review the webpage “Words Matter: Preferred Language for Talking About Addiction
(Links to an external site.)
” from NIDA* and the Tulane University blog post “10 Strategies for Effective Health Communication
(Links to an external site.)
” to prepare to participate in this discussion. Note: Some questions/answers in Quiz 2 will also come from these resources.
*Note: The irony is not lost on me that the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) states on their own website that the term “abuse” should be avoided and replaced with use (for illicit drugs) or misuse (for prescription medications used other than prescribed). There was a petition/campaign to change the name organized by Faces & Voices of Recovery and Research Recovery Institute but I don’t think it was successful.
Part 2: Questions 1-4
Question 1: What does it mean to use “person-first” language? Why is it important to use person-first language when communicating about addiction? [Answer in two to four complete sentences; Worth up to 4 points]
Question 2: The CDC recently launched a campaign called “Stop Overdose
(Links to an external site.)
” with a focus on four main topics: Facts on Fentanyl
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, Polysubstance Use Facts
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, Lifesaving Naloxone
(Links to an external site.)
, and Stigma Reduction
(Links to an external site.)
. Take some time to review the campaign’s main page
(Links to an external site.)
as well as each of the pages covering the subtopics. What is your general impression of the campaign? Is the language clear and appropriate? What do you think of the graphics, color scheme, format, fonts, etc.? What do you like most about the campaign and what do you like least? You can offer your opinion here, but also consider how the Tulane blog post describes “most effective health communications” in your response. [Answer in three to five complete sentences; Worth up to 4 points]
Question 3: Watch the video titled “Protect friends and family with lifesaving naloxone (:60)
(Links to an external site.)
” under the Lifesaving Naloxone topic. Who do you think the target audience is for this video? Is this video effective at reaching this target? Why or why not? [Answer in two to four complete sentences; Worth up to 4 points]
Question 4: In September 2021, the DEA released a rare Public Safety Alert warning Americans of the alarming increase in the lethality and availability of fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine. Review the press release for that alert here
(Links to an external site.)
. In response to this threat, the DEA also recently launched its “One Pill Can Kill” Public Awareness Campaign to educate the public about the dangers of counterfeit pills. Review the website here
(Links to an external site.)
and the social media campaign resources here
(Links to an external site.)
. Be sure to review the social media graphics, sample posts, etc. What is your general impression of the campaign? Is the language clear and appropriate? What do you think of the graphics, color scheme, format, fonts, etc.? What do you like most about the campaign and what do you like least? You can offer your opinion here, but also consider how the Tulane blog post describes “most effective health communications” in your response. [Answer in three to five complete sentences; Worth up to 4 points]