Batavia, OH (Aug. 5, 2019) – Clermont County residents have started seeing billboards and hearing radio spots as part of a new campaign aimed at reducing the stigma toward addiction. Soon, they’ll also view Facebook ads.

They carry messages such as “Recovery is Possible,” “We are Stronger than Addiction,” and “Community is How Recovery Thrives.” They direct people to www.getcleannowclermont.org  and use the #IBelieveInRecovery hashtag.

The Clermont County Opiate Task Force helped start the campaign, funded by the Funders’ Response to the Heroin Epidemic through Interact for Health. Hyperquake, a Cincinnati design agency, created the promotion, also running in Dearborn and Butler counties.

“We’re thankful for this opportunity to drive home the message that recovery is possible,” said Lee Ann Watson, associate director of the Clermont County Mental Health and Recovery Board and a co-chair of the Clermont County Opiate Task Force. “We want people to understand that addiction is a chronic disease that feeds on isolation. When we stand together, it cannot overtake us.”

Fifteen billboards began to display the campaign’s messages last month. Ads also are airing on WGRR radio. Facebook ads will start soon.

Research has shown that a stigma still exists toward addiction – and that a campaign could help build awareness as part of the work to address the area’s opiate crisis.

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