▶Videoyoutube.comUnshame California
Also: Unshame CA
California Department of Health Care Services and Shatterproof stigma-reduction campaign (US-CA) launched May 2023, sharing video stories of Californians affected by substance use disorder, with community partners and digital influencers, to present addiction as a treatable condition and build support for medications for opioid use disorder and naloxone.
- Years
- 2023–now
- Reach
- 67M impressions as reported“67 million+ social impressions (Shatterproof, June 2024).”
- Country
- United States
- Topic
- DrugsHarm reductionOpioids
- Asks people to
- Reduce stigmaSeek helpSupport a policy
- Strategy
- Stigma reductionTestimonialTrusted messenger
- Channel
- EventsInfluencerSocial (organic)Social (paid)Website
- Audience
- AdultsGeneral public
Evidence
Self-reportedPositive
Year-one sponsor survey comparing exposed and unexposed adults: willing to live next door to a person with OUD 55.2% vs 37.1%; willing to hire 69% vs 43.5%; able to give naloxone over 36% vs 20.3%; nearly 11% of adult Californians (3 million+) reported exposure; 67 million+ social impressions (Shatterproof, June 2024). Cross-sectional exposed-vs-unexposed comparison, so self-selection is not ruled out.
Sponsor (who paid)
- California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) State local government, funder and co-lead
- Shatterproof NGO, co-lead (National Stigma Initiative)
Credits (who made it)
- Shatterproof Strategy, 2023- source
Executions (individual ads)
- Medication for Addiction Treatment (MAT) Changed Sarina’s Life social-paid · youtube
- Bryant's Story | Unshame California social-paid · youtube
- Deanna's Story | Unshame California social-paid · youtube
- Bill Turns His Experience Into Connection social-paid · youtube
- Saul Educates Others About MAT social-paid · youtube
- Veronika Wants To Normalize Conversations Around Substance Use social-paid · youtube
- Melissa Explains Why Everyone Should Carry Naloxone social-paid · youtube
- Three Veterans Tell Their Story of Recovery and Community social-paid · youtube
- Christina, Joseph & Jason Want To Expand Access to Care social-paid · youtube
- Venita's MAT Journey social-paid · youtube
- Support & Acceptance Can Make All the Difference social-paid · youtube
- Danny's Message: It's Okay to Talk About Addiction social-paid · youtube
- Rudy on Recovery, Self-Compassion, and Showing Up social-paid · youtube
- Tessa Explains What Harm Reduction Means to Them social-paid · youtube
- Tim's Story as a Veteran in Recovery social-paid · youtube
Related campaigns
- Facts Fight Fentanyl 2023–2025
- Choose Change California 2019–now
- Life Unites Us 2020–now
Sources
Research notes
US-CA. Credits checked 2026-10-22 against fetched pages: Shatterproof (co-lead; role given as strategy). No creative or research agency named on any fetched page. The DHCS release pages returned empty to the fetcher. Settlement funding not confirmed: the 2022 Budget Act gave DHCS Opioid Settlements Fund money for 'an outreach and antistigma campaign' (Senate budget agenda, 13 March 2025), which may be this campaign but the document does not name it. A Shatterproof-posted year-three update (search result only) reports 18% familiarity. Executions are story videos from the Unshame California YouTube channel (oEmbed-confirmed); whether each ran as paid media is not known. 40 influencers took part, including Lance Bass. Discovered 2026-10-22 for #17. Reuse terms checked 2026-10-23 by an AI research pass for #47; not yet reviewed by a person.
Record cases/ca-unshame-california.json, updated 2026-10-23· Link to this campaign