Attorney General Chris Carr and partners kicked off the fourth annual “We’re Not Gonna Take It” video contest. On average, approximately 175 Americans, including 4 Georgians, die every day due to opioid overdoses. Our office is joining the Georgia Association of Broadcasters, the Healthcare Distributors Alliance, the Medical Association of Georgia’s “Think About It” campaign, the Georgia Pharmacy Association, the Kennesaw State Center for Young Adult Addiction and Recovery, the Georgia Prevention Project, the Council on Alcohol and Drugs and the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse to enlist our youth in fighting back.

“Opioid abuse and misuse is affecting all Georgians, and we have to join together to strengthen our response to this modern day epidemic,” said Attorney General Chris Carr. “Georgia’s young people can lead awareness and change. Every year, students continue to surprise us with their level of professionalism and creativity. This year, we are really looking forward to expanding the program to the collegiate level and think it will be one of the best years yet.”

In October of 2017, Attorney General Chris Carr created a Statewide Opioid Task Force to bring stakeholders together to confront this issue head on. The contest, created by former Attorney General Sam Olens in 2014, is part of our office’s comprehensive effort to raise awareness of the dangers of the opioid epidemic in Georgia.

The contest runs from February 1, 2018, through March 15, 2018. It is open to high school and college students enrolled at a Georgia-based institution sponsored by a qualified adult. Entrants should create a video or radio submission no longer than 30 seconds. This year, we are looking for submissions that highlight the dangers, risks and consequences associated with opioid misuse and abuse, the availability of resources and/or the 911 Medical Amnesty and Expanded Naloxone Access Law - which was put in place in 2014 to reduce overdose deaths.

Representatives from the sponsoring organizations will choose winners in four separate categories: best high school video submission, best high school radio submission, best college video submission and best college radio submission. Last year, over 200 videos were entered. Winners will be announced this April.

The winning submissions will be aired on television and radio stations across the state, thanks to our office’s partnership with the Georgia Association of Broadcasters and the Healthcare Distribution Alliance.