Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman and commission approve $5.8 million to expand 'Better Without It' youth prevention campaign

The Opioid Abatement Commission voted to authorize $5.8 million to expand the Attorney General’s Better Without It (BWI) youth prevention program, backing a proposal to move the campaign into schools, community groups and youth‑led, in‑person activities across Kentucky.

Attorney General Russell Coleman asked the commission to back Phase 2 of the campaign, framing prevention as one “leg” of a three‑part approach alongside enforcement and treatment. Coleman said the office has leveraged streaming partnerships and athletes to reach young people and asked the commission for continued investment. “When we invest early, fewer lives are lost,” Coleman said while outlining the campaign’s reach and goals.

Commissioner Allen, who represents the commission on the attorney general’s youth prevention advisory group, described Phase 2 as community‑specific and youth‑driven, with training for adult advisers, micro‑grants for local projects, and a rollout in schools and community organizations. He and staff presented a budget that included a $4.0 million subtotal for the campaign and a $5.8 million two‑year project total (about $2.9 million per year). “We want to continue to engage with Better Without It,” Allen said, asking members for support.

Commission members pressed presenters on how the campaign would translate awareness into sustained local supports. A program representative said the office plans to pair messaging with local partners and service providers and to commission a third‑party evaluation. Stanley, the youth engagement lead for the campaign’s pilot work, cited local diversion‑program data as preliminary evidence of impact, saying the pilot saw a 91 percent success rate in year one and 95 percent in year two for preventing reoffense among referred students.

After discussion the commission approved the $5.8 million funding request by voice vote. The motion was moved and seconded on the record and passed without a roll‑call tally recorded in the transcript.

The commission also considered a separate but related item: converting received naloxone product shipments into the cash value of the goods and giving that money to the Kentucky Pharmacy Association for distribution across the state. Staff estimated the cash value at approximately $500,000 and said a contract would include rollover language so unused funds remain available for future naloxone purchases. Commissioners approved the conversion and distribution approach by voice vote.

During public comment, county leaders told the commission how opioid abatement dollars are being used locally. Jim Henderson of the Kentucky Association of Counties described county efforts on reporting and technical assistance; Marion County representatives described local initiatives funded by abatement dollars, including a rapid‑response situation table, a quick‑response team coordinated with EMS, a REACH pre‑release reentry program and prevention events for youth.

The commission also approved a scheduling change to move the March meeting to April 21, 2026, and noted a series of subcommittee meeting dates for grant review. The meeting adjourned after the votes.

What the commission approved

- $5,800,000 to fund Phase 2 expansion of the Better Without It youth prevention initiative (two‑year project; Phase 2 to expand youth ambassador and school/community engagement, training, micro‑grants and evaluation). Motion moved by Commissioner Ingram and seconded; passed by voice vote. - Conversion of naloxone product receipts to an estimated cash payout (~$500,000) to be managed by the Kentucky Pharmacy Association for statewide distribution; contract to include rollover language for unused funds. Motion moved and passed by voice vote. - Change the March 31 meeting date to April 21, 2026. Motion passed by voice vote.

Budget and clarifying figures presented

- Coleman and commissioners cited an initial $3,600,000 investment to date and more than 7,000,000 views of BWI content on streaming platforms. - BWI Phase 2 proposed budget items cited by commissioners/presenters: $1,300,000 for social streaming partnerships and influencers; $325,000 for a stakeholder and youth curriculum; $428,000 project management; $535,000 campaign management; $1,100,000 for co‑branded advertising/NIL contracts; the BWI subtotal presented was $4,000,000 with the full two‑year project at $5,800,000.

Next steps

Staff said Phase 2 implementation will proceed with vendor partnerships, a third‑party evaluation to measure outcomes, and closer work with local partners to ensure statewide resources (for example, Kentucky‑specific crisis and treatment links) are integrated into campaign materials. The commission set subcommittee meeting dates for upcoming grant review and administrative work.

(Reporting based on the commission meeting transcript and presenters’ statements; vote tallies were recorded as voice votes in the transcript and no individual roll‑call vote counts were provided.)