Fentanyl Abuse Public Awareness

This article discusses the growing concern of fentanyl abuse in Canada and the efforts to raise public awareness about its dangers. It explores the business objectives, research findings, PR objectives, tactics, and evaluation of the campaign. The article emphasizes the need to educate high-risk age groups, parents, and the community about fentanyl misuse and to provide alternative options to prevent drug abuse. It also highlights the importance of stakeholder engagement, key messages, and evaluation measures to gauge the success of the campaign.

Running head: FENTANYL ABUSE PUBLIC AWARENESS
1
Fentanyl abuse public awareness
Name:
Institution:

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Introduction
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid medication projected to be 50-100 times strong than morphine, has
currently gained disrepute as the medication with fatal overdose earlier this year. At present, the
drug is becoming an adverse health concern as it is developing in popularity across Canada. Even
though the drug has legitimate application as an anaesthetic, its narcotic components and
relatively low costs have made it a popular street drug.
In 2016, the drug was among the top ten regulated substances most noticed by Health Canada's
Drug Analysis Service, ranking just below marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamines
(Government of Canada, 2019). The sequence of fentanyl connected mortality is changing along
with the developing presence of synthetic opioids in the illegal marketplace. Fentanyl currently
has been observed in the illicit drug supply in all the Canadian jurisdiction. For instance, in
British Columbia, the drug was involved in 68% of the 9855 illegal mortality drug in 2016 from
4% in 2012 (BC Centre for Disease Control, 2017). In mid-2017, the ration of death due to the
fentanyl or its analogue substance in the province rose to 83%. On the other hand, the cases of an
illicit drug overdose not involving fentanyl have remained comparatively stale, at 300 annually.
In Alberta, there was 6111 evident opioid-related mortality in 2016 (Government of Alberta,
2017).
In contrast, the number of illicit drug overdose deaths not involving fentanyl has remained
relatively stable, at 300 per year. In Alberta, there were 611 apparent opioid-related deaths in
2016. Ontario has reported a rising ration of fentanyl-connected. In 2016, the highest percentage
(28%) of evident opioid-linked mortality in Canada happened among people between the ages of

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30 and 39 years (Government of Alberta, 2017). Even though the period does not look to differ
hugely across the jurisdictions, it could be a factor when the type of fentanyl is deliberated.
This public relation plan aims to pinpoints the gaps in the areas and evidence for further scrutiny
to advances the comprehension of the national fentanyl crisis. The Ontario government and
public health agency of Canada will continue to function strictly with federal partners and
provinces, territories to refine the data collection, perform special educations and raise the info-
sharing to upsurge the proof required to inform the public on the fentanyl-related harms and
mortality (Public Health Ontario, n.d).
Business Objectives
The main objectives of this operation are to progress a sense of responsibility and awareness
among the high risk age set to stay away from the fentanyl misuse. It also aims to teach parents
on the drug abuse concerns and to assist them in accomplishing their responsibilities and
prospects towards the preventive exertions. The campaign will provide awareness to the
members of the community, students, health care providers, and teachers on fentanyl and their
duties in drug abuse preventions. The campaign also aims to integrate the fentanyl abuse
education framework in both curricular and co-curricular routines and programmes. The business
will offer any other healthy substitutes for both teenagers and adults to say away from the
fentanyl drugs. The programs will also heighten the society knowledge leading to its
engagement in fentanyl prevention efforts. Then, it will offer the first direction of high risk
groups to support the early prevention of drug misuse. The campaign will also aim to change the

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community's perception and beliefs towards the fentanyl-related routines. Finally, the business
will join with the media to improve preventive drug learning programs.
Research
The Ontario Government (Ministry of Health) is concerned about the increasing number of
deaths caused by fentanyl. The drug is a highly potent opioid that doctors prescribe to help
patients suffering from chronic pain. However, the real concern is for recreational drug users
who are unaware that fentanyl may be combined with other recreational drugs. Experts state that
fentanyl is 80 times as potent as morphine and hundreds of times more potent than heroin.
Media coverage about the issue has been extensive, with some experts referring to the increasing
use of fentanyl in recreational drugs as an epidemic. In 2016, Police Chiefs of Ontario banded
together to launch an awareness campaign targeted to youth about the dangers of fentanyl. The
Government of Manitoba has already launched an awareness campaign (Government of
Manitoba, 2017). Therefore, the paper aims to develop a PR plan to create public awareness
about the dangers of fentanyl.
PR objectives
The main aim of this work is to offers the facts and info on the social and health impacts of
fentanyl misuse among the Canadians populace. The projects also aim to offer education,
shelters, professional expertise and a job opening for both the addicted and non-addicted
populace. Finally, it will support positive individual’s attachment to guardian, parents and any
other adults.
Stakeholder analysis

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For this plan to be successful, the following stakeholders will be engaged: the community leaders
such as informal and religious leaders, health caregivers. Also, the Volunteer and participants in
the community will be crucial in the development of the programs. Then, social groups such as
NGOs, clubs and association will be of essence to back the business objectives towards the
accomplishment of its goals. Education organization's such as high school both junior and
senior, universities, colleges and elementary will be involved in the campaign (Cutlip 2013).
Key messages
For this public relations to be successful in the province, it will provide the info on the public
and health effects of substances misuse, and also it will strengthen both social and individuals
capabilities. The PR plan will aim to facilitate the definite link to the guardians, parents and
other adults. The program seeks to offer prospects to spend free time in a manner that is
entertaining, productive and challenging to the targeted age set. Also, the central message of the
campaign is to restrict the accessibility of the fentanyl and upsurge awareness on the adverse
effects of fentanyl abuse in society. Finally, it will offer a message of social and youth-friendly
provisions and design youth and public cultures that inspire a healthy lifestyle and demotivates
fentanyl abuse (Formoso et al., 2013).
Tactics
For the plan to realize the above mentioned PR objectives, it wills have different tactics to tackle
each goal.
The first objective is to offer info about the social and health impacts of fentanyl substances.
Here, the plan will know the youths who have accurate statistics and facts about the fentanyl,
short and long term effects and in what way they are utilized. Additionally, it will gauge the

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teenagers who have negatives beliefs towards the fentanyl abuse, however, not drug abusers.
Second objective is to offer education, shelter, and vocational training and job chances. Here, the
plan aims to know the teenagers and adults whose basic wants such as shelter, food and clothing
are accomplished. Then, it will see the number of youths and adults in work, school and
vocational training. Also, knowing the counts of teenagers showing excellent academic levels
and a definite link to the school environment is good tactics of the above objective.
Third objective is to back positive individual’s links to guardians, parents and other adults. The
above goals can be accomplished through having more dialogues and few tensions in the
community families. It can also be achieved by having less fentanyl abuse in community
families. Finally, knowing the numbers of teenagers having a positive link to adults who do not
abuse fentanyl drugs is vital.
Action Time Period Financial plan($)
1
Examination of all stakeholders
such as celebrities, social
organization, education institutions,
volunteers and participants
2.5 month 1 Aug 2019 - 15Sep 30,000
2
Printing the posters and film for the
implementation stage phase
15days 20 Sep. – 5 Oct 55,000
3 Execution stage 1: socialization 20days 9 Oct-29 Oct -
4
Execution phase 2: empowering
and training
Three weeks 1Nov -21 Nov 35,000

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5 Execution stage 3: commitment 1month 23 Nov-23 Dec 40,000
6 Evaluation phase 1.5 month
1 Jan 2020-30 Feb
2020
60,000
Evaluation
Various simple mechanisms can be used to evaluate the successfulness of the messages offered
by the plan. Knowing youths who have negatives beliefs and attitudes towards fentanyl abuse is
crucial. Teens having faith in the talents and strengths and apply them productively and having
less drug abuse in the families of the society can show how active was the PR at the end of the
execution stage. The youths and adults in occupations, school and training and the number
involved in organizing the entertainment, effective and challenging routines for other groups can
show the progress of the campaign (Stacks, 2016).
Moreover, the figure of fentanyl-free sites where young individuals can meet is also essential in
knowing the success of the plan. Youths who are contented with social and health provision, and
who remembers messages, and logo of the awareness-raising routines are good indicators of the
right direction.
Also to fulfil the mandate of the plan, it is good to count the youths in the society who select
fentanyl-free recreational venues and processes. The number of youth who have the proper
statistics about the fentanyl, their short and long term influence and in what way they utilized is
crucial. The evaluators should also know the numbers of a populace who are at the position to
solve problems precisely and cope with their stress and emotions and more conversation in the

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community. The external evaluators should have figures of the groups who feel they can have the
drug very quickly if they want and also the count of individuals who have correct info about the
drug and their effects, and teenagers who utilize the social and health provisions.
Knowing the groups who can associate themselves with campaign ambassadors by promoting
healthy lifestyles can tell more info on the outcomes of the plan (Smith, 2013). Youths who feel
they are building new relationships and who have positive attachments to grownups who do not
abuse the drug is essential also. Finally, the counts of children with excellent academics levels
and positive links to the school environs, and the ones who request info about fentanyl are vital
to the evaluation of the progress of the plan.
Conclusion
The opioid concerns in Canada are escalating, inspired by both illegal prescriptions of the drug
usage. Fentanyl and analogues substances look to be motivating the rise in opioid-connected
deaths. Monitoring and evaluation necessitate the collection of data, including the facts about the
persons, their opinions, behaviours, feelings and thoughts. However, specific info is sensitive,
and respondents will require reassurance that their identity will not be revealed to the public
without permissions and that their messages they have given will remain top-secret.
Accomplishing those expectations is essential to making sure that they cooperate with evaluation
and research in future which also proves to be an ethical approach. Further explanation to the
confidentiality respects is that numerous provinces in Canada have regulations on how
confidential info is gathered, preserved and under what states it can be released to the public.
There are specific rules about getting and utilizing the info from young individuals and definitely
above the drug abuse.

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Before presenting the recommendations, the evaluators focus on two crucial points. First, due to
limited financial resources, what health ambassadors can realize is hugely determined by their
networks of contacts among the local leaders and national leaders into public relations,
entertainment, promotions sectors and in the mass media. Secondly, campaign organizers,
ought to connect with local advocacy groups and community and school-based programs.
Essentially, messages from the mass media campaign and numerous platforms ought to directed
by a common approach
The report offers the following recommendation on the informed attitudes and belief about the
mass campaign as they are essential elements of the nation’s long term-term exertions to fight
the drug abuse. A campaign ought to be directed to a variety of target audiences, including the
youths and grown-ups. Of particular interest to this plan are preventive campaigns steered to the
teen, adults and parents, who should be engaged as they start to make choices about their
distinctive trial with fentanyl and other related drug abuse

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