Virginia-based ICF International has won a $4.8M, two-year pact from the Centers for Disease Control to develop a PR campaign highlighting the risks of prescription opioid abuse.
The contract, with the CDC's National Center for Injury PRevention and Control, includes paid and earned digital and social media, and promotion of CDC guidelines for healthcare providers about prescribing opioids, among other outreach for an overall health communications strategy.
Prescription opioid abuse has risen to epidemic proportions, including 78 deaths per day. The rate of overdose deaths quadrupled since 1999, coinciding with a nearly quadruple rate in sales of opioids.
"We look forward to working with the CDC to help dissect and communicate this complex issue to increase its visibility across a variety of audiences and reduce the incidence of drug-related deaths in the United States," said ICF VP Frances Heilig.
ICF has handled CDC campaigns related to brain injury, suicide prevention, youth violence and other illicit drug use.
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