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RivCo Conducts Two Summer Public Awareness Campaigns Targeting Fireworks, Fentanyl

The county of Riverside is spending its summer with two public awareness campaigns: one for fireworks and the other for fentanyl. While the county has previously done campaigns on both issues, this time it’s going to be much bigger. "Previously, it was simply on billboards and organically on social media," County of Riverside Director of Communications Brooke Federico explained. "Now we are in contract with a media buyer to really place them digitally and in community based publications to get more eyes on it." According to an Executive Office statement, the campaign about the illegal use of fireworks and enforcement programs will enhance the safety of our communities by lessening associated risks. "They bring with them inherent dangers," Federico continued. "They’re dangerous to the people using them and dangerous to the people nearby. They’re dangerous to wildlife. They’re incredibly traumatic for veterans, as well as our pets and young children. For all of these reasons, we continue to remind residents that they are illegal." As fentanyl continues to be a public health issue with a 200-fold increase in fatal fentanyl poisonings in Riverside County since 2016, this Pacific Southwest Emmy nominated campaign will raise awareness of the drug’s dangers. Our goal is to reduce and prevent deaths from illicit fentanyl," Federico said. "It’s going to take more than just a few months. It’s that repetition of the message for people to know and understand. It’s also all this other work that our departments are doing in treatment and in law enforcement to really meet people where they are to understand the devastating consequences of fentanyl." All with the community in mind. "We wanted to make sure that we were putting it in places where people could see and hear and understand this really important message," Federico said. According to the Executive Office, half of the $300,000 contract will be covered by the General Fund and the other through state and federal money. Both campaigns will wrap up by the end of August.

By: Carmela Karcher

June 13, 2023

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