Mercer County has launched a new initiative, The Mercer County Overdose Prevention Campaign, to support communities in preventing fatal overdoes through education on the best practices in harm reduction.
The campaign is the third phase of four funded through a competitive grant, “Implementing Overdose Prevention Strategies at the Local Level”, that the county received from National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO).
In the first phase, Mercer County created a Mercer County Overdose Surveillance System in coordination with more than 15 different community partners. The system issues spike alerts when three or more overdoses are reported in the region. Since the program’s roll-out there have been two such alerts, with the last one going out in November 2023.
For phase two, Mercer County is creating a Mercer County Overdose Report. This report will utilize data from state overdose trends, naloxone uses in Mercer County, and data from peer reviewed journals to analyze if the overdose trends in Mercer County are reflective of national trends.
In this third phase, the county contracted with The Sertoc Group to create an Overdose Prevention Communications Campaign. Through focus groups and in conjunction with community partners, the county developed a messaging campaign to reduce opioid deaths.
The campaign will also be releasing two educational videos on harm reduction, two media ads on the campaign, and an informational website to best educate the community.
In the fourth and final phase of the campaign, Mercer County will be distributing harm-reduction kits through its Corrections Center, Mercer County Library System, and local government health boards. These kits will contain CPR face shields, protective gloves, individual sized sharps containers (for syringes), and fentanyl test strips.
“Drug overdoses persist in devastating communities and families nationwide,” said Taraun Tice McKnight, deputy administrator for community services. “Through our Mercer County Overdose Prevention Campaign, we identify overdose spikes, educate the public, and provide harm reduction supplies to the most vulnerable.”
“Although the drug overdose epidemic has been a longstanding issue, harm reduction has only recently entered mainstream conversations,” stated Ana Montero, deputy administrator for public health & safety. “This campaign provides essential education and resources to promote the safety and well-being of those struggling with addiction.”
“When I joined the New Jersey State Legislature in 2011, we fought to get Narcan into the hands of first responders to save lives in the face of a growing epidemic,” said County Executive Dan Benson. “Now, 13 years later, we have made significant strides in destigmatizing addiction and educating the public on prevention. While there is always more work to be done, I am proud of what Mercer County is achieving through this campaign.”
