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Carlsbad coalition reports $105,000 opioid‑abatement media campaign reached more than 14 million views
Summary
The Carlsbad Community Anti Drug and Gang Coalition used $105,000 in opioid settlement funds for a two‑phase media campaign emphasizing protective messaging and community resources; the group plans expanded community presentations and wellness programming in the second year of funding.
Joanna Wells, executive director of the Carlsbad Community Anti Drug and Gang Coalition, updated the Eddy County commissioners on the coalition’s opioid‑abatement work and use of opioid settlement funds. "I'm Joanna Wells, the executive director for the Carlsbad Community Anti Drug and Gang Coalition," Wells said.
Wells told the commission the coalition received $105,000 from county opioid settlement allocations and spent that award on a broad prevention media campaign that used billboards, social media, radio, newspaper and movie‑theater ads; the materials emphasized protective behaviors and locally available activities for stress relief. The coalition reported the campaign reached "over 14,000,000 views." Wells said the campaign used a primary theme, "Safe, sober, fun," and later introduced a second‑phase message, "1 pill can kill. The only safe use is no use."
The coalition said it targeted community‑accessible de‑stress activities (riverside recreation, parks, mini golf), placed billboards on the Loving Highway and Artesia Highway, and left QR codes linking to local resources. For year two the coalition said it plans to move beyond mass media to community presentations with businesses and partners and expand use of a "wellness wheel" curriculum aligned with the Sources of Strength program already used in local schools.
Why it matters: the coalition used county opioid settlement funds for prevention messaging and reports high reach for its media buys. The commission did not take formal action on the presentation; Wells said the coalition was refunded for the next year and will focus on in‑person outreach and community wellness programming.
