Baker Announces Education Campaign on Opioid Addiction

Gov. Charlie Baker is launching a new public education campaign aimed at combatting opioid addiction by stripping away some of the stigma around talking about the problem.

Baker said the campaign will try to drive home the point that addiction is an illness, not a moral failure.

Baker pointed to studies he said show that stigmas can prevent people from getting into treatment, which in turn can hold people back from pursuing recovery, stability and success.

He said the campaign will use radio, billboards and digital ads, featuring the stories of individuals in treatment for substance use disorders.

The ads are intended to help reduce stigma by providing detailed information about the illness of addiction.

The $850,000 campaign is funded through a federal grant to the Department of Public Health.  (Associated Press)