WASHINGTON, D.C. - This week, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) appeared in a national video campaign on Facebook designed to empower people to break the stigma and shame associated with seeking treatment for opioid use disorder. Stop Opioid Silence, which organized the campaign, offers North Carolina residents struggling with opioid use disorders, as well as their families, the opportunity to share their stories of addiction and recovery.

Watch the full video HERE.

“The opioid epidemic is affecting families all across North Carolina and the country,” said Senator Tillis. “I am proud to be a part of the SOS campaign to help raise awareness and get help to those in need, and I will continue to work with my colleagues on a bipartisan basis to address this crisis by providing more resources and support to North Carolina families and local communities.”

Opioid use disorder and opioid-related death are serious issues across the country, including North Carolina. In 2017, 2,414 North Carolinians died from a drug overdose and every 11 minutes opioids take another life in America. Despite this progress, however, there remains a stigma associated with admitting to addiction and seeking assistance.

Facebook is supporting the Stop Opioid Silence campaign by running ads to encourage people to speak out about the crisis. The Facebook ads connect people to information and resources, featuring videos with Tillis, while offering a safe forum to share their stories about addiction and recovery. 

Stop Opioid Silence was created by Facebook and the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids and Center on Addiction, a leading national nonprofit working to transform how the nation addresses addiction. The organizations have teamed up to launch stopopioidsilence.org and a “Get Help” messenger bot which connects people all over the country, including North Carolinians, with information about addiction and treatment, recovery and support resources in their state.

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