Colorado, which has legalized recreational use of marijuana and is second among states for prescription drug abuse, is seeking agency help for a PR campaign aimed to curb abuse of pot, as well as prescription pills among its youth.
The state, No. 2 behind Oregon for misuse of prescription drugs, has $2M from a multi-state settlement with pharmaceutical companies and plans to fund the PR push with about $500K.
The office of Gov. John Hickenlooper will oversee the campaign to address misuse and abuse of pot and prescription pills by targeting schools, communities and families through social media, curriculum and other outreach.
While research backs Colorado's youth prescription drug problem, there is very little hard data on marijuana. But the state notes in an RFP that a "general consensus" among substance abuse professionals points to negative consequences from youth (under 18) marijuana use.
The campaign will target youth ages 12 to 20.
Proposals are due Sept. 23. A year-long contract is planned to begin October.
The RFP can be accessed via the state's procurement portal.
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Colorado is accepting the qualifications of PR firms, ad agencies and marketing services companies that are interested in working for The Centennial State.
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