The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) used a grant to its annual Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Substance Abuse Block Grant to release of “Talk Healing” Awareness campaign to reduce youth substance abuse in the state.
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This grant was intended to address substance use prevention and treatment needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. AHCCCS provides State of Reform with funding for direct prevention services through community-based organizations, prevention human resource development, and program evaluation, as well as media campaigns to complement these efforts to reach out to the public. It will serve as an important tool in the hygiene toolbox, he said. • Influence young people in the state.
“Talk Heals” uses emojis and familiar scenarios in youth culture to effectively convey youth-related messages on platforms used by youth (social media, streaming apps, etc.) A campaign to encourage people to talk to people they trust. Yourself may share with peers.
The campaign includes television, outdoor and online advertising to encourage adolescents to talk to someone they trust rather than using drugs to help them cope with stressors and mental health issues in their lives. According to AHCCCS, “Talk Heals” highlights the relationship between mental health and substance use, provides education and resources for youth to use, and promotes coping strategies and self-care instead of substance use.
AHCCCS said the campaign aims to address current trends in youth substance abuse in Arizona.of Arizona Youth SurveyA 2022 study of more than 269,000 students in grades 8 through 12 in Arizona found that 30-day alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco use decreased for each grade level from 2020 to 2022. reporting. Nearly a third of students reported having had more than a few sips of alcohol, 20.4% had used marijuana, 18.1% had used marijuana concentrates such as wax pens and THC oil, 18.9% had used e-cigarettes.
AHCCCS said it conducted a survey on Arizona youth and their families as the state rolled out a campaign to gather information and ideas.
“Studies with young people and their families have found that the mental and emotional struggles caused or exacerbated by the pandemic have led young people to use alcohol and other drugs to relieve stress, emotional pain, depression, and anxiety. was the primary reason for choosing the drug of choice, actually exacerbated by substance use,” the agency said. “The intended result is improved mental health and resilience among young people, including reducing their use of substances such as alcohol, marijuana, e-cigarettes and prescription drugs.”
The messages used by the campaign include youth reports and social isolation and loss of family and friends due to the pandemic, intense negative emotions and stress due to lack of coping skills, witnessing drug use around them in social situations, Built on experiences such as fatigue. of hearing the same message about substance use.
The campaign will run until March 14, 2023.
