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NYS Counties, Coroners Recognized for Opioid PSA

Video Campaign receives MARCOM Award
 
 
The  New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) was honored this week at the 2018 Capital Region MARCOM Awards competition.Held on Wednesday, November 14, at Proctors in Schenectady, this annual event recognizes excellence in marketing and communications through outstanding work in several categories.
 
The See the Signs, Save a Life campaign received a MARCOM Award in the video category. Four other video campaigns were finalists in this category. 
After years of seeing opioid abuse devastate families and their communities, NYSAC and theNew York State County Coroners and Medical Examiners Association came together in the spring of 2018 with a common goal: educating the public about the signs of opioid abuse, and getting help to those who need it before it's too late. The associations sought to do this through a powerful video public service advertisement that didn't shy away from the reality of the situation: opioid addiction leads to death.
 
View the video and related resources at www.nysac.org/opioids.
 
The PSA campaign, created in partnership with Trellis Marketing, ran on television stations throughout New York State, on social media channels, and was shared on local government and association websites. The campaign was also shared with residents directly by local leaders.
 
NYSAC and its member counties have been battling the opioid epidemic for years, through several agencies, including county social services, health departments, law enforcement, jails, 9-1-1 dispatch, district attorneys, public defenders, probation, coroners, and medical examiners.
 
"On behalf of the Association of Counties, I want to express our sincere appreciation to the MARCOM Award committee. This video public service announcement was designed to better inform our residents of the signs that could lead to saving a life. We're grateful for this recognition and hope the effort to educate the public continues," said Charles H. Nesbitt, President of NYSAC.
 
"From 'first responder' law enforcement receiving calls for help, to the 'last responder' Coroners and Medical Examiners confirming the cause of death, local government officials confront the effects of addiction and opioid abuse in our communities every day," explained Stephen Acquario, Executive Director of NYSAC. "This video campaign offers one more vehicle to educate and inform our communities of the dangers associated with opioid abuse."
 
"We are thrilled to have been chosen to create this marketing campaign. It was an honor to be able to address this important issue. I am so proud of my Trellis Marketing team for the creativity & expertise that they used on this project and what they bring to our clients' marketing challenges every day," said Catharine McCracken, President of Trellis Marketing, Inc.
 
Scott Schmidt, President of NYSCCME, said, "The far-reaching effects of a drug overdose death are devastating. NYSCCME felt that by showing the after-effects of using these lethal substances with an 'in-your-face' approach, we might be able to save at least one life. We are very proud of the resulting campaign and our partnership with NYSAC and Trellis. Thank you to the MARCOM awards for this recognition. We hope that this video is seen far and wide."
 
In 2017, NYSAC was award a MARCOM award in the public affairs category for its work with Corning Place Communications on the Rescuing 911 campaign.

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