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Break the Stigma

Also: Camden County Anti-Stigma Campaign · Break The Stigma: Understanding Addiction and Recovery

“Addiction is a disease, not a choice, and recovery is possible for everyone.”

Camden County (US-NJ) anti-stigma campaign launched October 1, 2024 by the Board of Commissioners and the Addiction Awareness Task Force and paid for with opioid settlement funds, aiming to change how residents talk about addiction and recovery so people seek help. It ran broadcast and streaming TV spots, radio, social media, print and direct mail, plus posters, a 'Language Matters' flyer and a travelling panel program.

Years
2024–now
Reach
913K impressions as reported
“223 streaming spots (~913,000 impressions);”
Country
United States
Budget
$375,000.00 funding (funded 04/10/2025); $388,241.77 expended in FY2025 (NJ 2025 county report); $217,702.58 expended 7/1/2025-6/30/2026 (FY26 county report). Planned duration 2-3 years.
Topic
DrugsOpioids
Asks people to
Reduce stigmaSeek help
Strategy
Stigma reductionTestimonial
Channel
Direct mailEventsPrintRadioSocial (paid)TVWebsite
Audience
General public
County report lists people in recovery and in treatment, people involved with the criminal justice system, people who use drugs, and the general public; anticipated 8,000 unduplicated people a year.

Evidence

Self-reportedUnknown

County-reported media delivery since launch (NJ 2025 report): 267 broadcast TV spots 'reaching nearly 7.15 million viewers'; 223 streaming spots (~913,000 impressions); over 500,000 social media impressions; ~194,000 radio impressions; print to ~238,000 households; direct mail to ~222,000 households. Outcome measure named only as 'stigma reduction through public awareness and education'; no survey or outcome data found.

Sponsor (who paid)

Credits (who made it)

Not recorded yet.

Executions (individual ads)

Related campaigns

Sources

  1. Camden County 2025 county opioid fund report, 2025 Fiscal Program #2 'Anti-Stigma Campaign' reference · 2025
  2. Camden County FY26 county opioid fund report (Anti-Stigma Campaign update) reference · 2026
  3. Camden County: Break The Stigma: Understanding Addiction and Recovery sponsor
  4. PhillyVoice sponsored content by Camden County Board of Commissioners: Break the stigma: understanding addiction and recovery (8 Sept 2025) sponsor · 2025
  5. Camden County opioid settlement strategic plan 2024 sponsor · 2024
  6. Camden County | Break the Stigma (YouTube, GCV Productions) archive · 2025

Research notes

US-NJ (Camden County). Discovered 2026-10-22 for #17 (local campaigns pass; method: settlement-report). Opened 2026-10-22: NJ 2025 county report (program entry: recipient Camden County Community Outreach & Events, launch 10/01/2024, funded 04/10/2025, $375,000, expended $388,241.77, procurement method 'n/a', media delivery figures), FY26 report ($217,702.58), county Break the Stigma page, PhillyVoice sponsored post, 2024 strategic plan. Expended exceeds the funded amount in FY2025 as reported. The 2024 strategic plan announced a planned anti-stigma campaign titled 'Addiction Doesn't Discriminate Why Should You?'; whether that became Break the Stigma is not confirmed. The county page also mentions a long-form commercial with spokesperson Zac Clark (Release Recovery), not linked; and 'Breaking the Stigma: On the Road' panels with Cooper University Health Care. No agency is named in any record; GCV Productions uploaded the YouTube spot and the event form is on sparkcreative.wufoo.com, both unverified as vendors. Check the numbers: '7.15 million viewers' is a county-reported broadcast estimate, not unique reach; the county page's statistics (over 80% of Americans unwilling to associate with people with SUD; deaths down 39% Jan-Jul 2024) are national or trend figures not attributed to the campaign. Reuse terms checked 2026-10-23 by an AI research pass for #47; not yet reviewed by a person.

Record cases/camden-county-break-the-stigma.json, updated 2026-10-23· Link to this campaign