A Dose of Truth

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“A Dose of Truth”

Illinois Department of Human Services opioid overdose prevention campaign (US-IL), run with Prevention First and Rescue Agency since about 2019. Early spots warned about prescription-opioid risks; from about 2022 it targets adults who use illicit drugs that may contain fentanyl, with English and Spanish videos on spotting an overdose, carrying naloxone and 'showing up' for friends, pointing to a naloxone finder on prevention.org.

Years: 2019–now
Country: United States
Topic: Harm reduction Opioids
Asks people to: Recognize Start
Strategy: Peer crowd Self efficacy Simple instruction
Channel: Social (paid)TV Website
Audience: Adults Young adults
Adults who use illicit substances at risk of containing fentanyl; English and Spanish.

Evidence

NoneUnknown

No outcome evaluation found. Formative only: 21 interviews with young adults who use drugs tested four concepts; messages stressing that the drug supply is widely contaminated made personal risk salient, and a narrative naloxone message felt relevant (Fernandez 2023). Rescue Agency says its formative research found the audience motivated to adopt harm-reduction steps but unaware of specific steps.

Sponsor (who paid)

Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (IDHS/SUPR) State local government, funder
Prevention First NGO, partner

Credits (who made it)

Rescue Agency Creative, 2022- source

Executions (individual ads)

Naloxona: Hablemos claro 2026 · social-paid · youtube
Naloxona: Hablemos claro 2026 · social-paid · youtube
Naloxone: Let's Clear it Up 2026 · social-paid · youtube
Naloxone: Let's Clear it Up 2026 · social-paid · youtube
Lleva naloxona a todos lados | A Dose of Truth 2025 · social-paid · youtube
Carry Naloxone Everywhere You Go | A Dose of Truth 2025 · social-paid · youtube
Naloxone Can Save Friends From Fentanyl | A Dose of Truth 2024 · social-paid · youtube
Carry Naloxone to Save a Friend's Life | A Dose of Truth 2024 · social-paid · youtube
Back Up Plan | A Dose Of Truth 2024 · social-paid · youtube
Otra forma de apoyar a tus amigos | A Dose of Truth 2024 · social-paid · youtube
Another Way to Show Up for Your Friends | A Dose of Truth 2024 · social-paid · youtube
Yo me encargo | A Dose of Truth 2024 · social-paid · youtube
I Got You | A Dose of Truth 2024 · social-paid · youtube
How to SPOT a Deadly Fentanyl Overdose 2023 · social-paid · youtube
How to Get FREE Lifesaving Naloxone in IL 2023 · social-paid · youtube
How to STOP an Opioid Overdose With Lifesaving Naloxone 2023 · social-paid · youtube
Back Up Plan | A Dose of Truth 2023 · social-paid · youtube
Farm-to-Friend I A Dose of Truth 2022 · social-paid · youtube
Not a Day Goes By | A Dose of Truth 2022 · social-paid · youtube
The Usual | A Dose of Truth 2021 · social-paid · youtube
Changes Can Be Warning Signs | A Dose of Truth 2021 · social-paid · youtube
Decisions | A Dose of Truth 2021 · social-paid · youtube
Prescription Opioid Overdose Is Not Uncommon | A Dose of Truth 2020 · social-paid · youtube
Reality TV | A Dose of Truth 2019 · tv · youtube

Related campaigns

Fentanyl and Naloxone Awareness (ONDCP and Ad Council) 2023–now

Sources

Rescue Agency blog: Steps to Save a Life: Accidental Fentanyl Overdose Prevention Messages sponsor
Prevention First: A Dose of Truth campaign site sponsor
A Dose of Truth YouTube channel archive
Fernandez P et al. A Dose of Truth: A Qualitative Assessment of Reactions to Messages about Fentanyl for People Who Use Drugs. Subst Use Misuse 2023 evaluation · 2023 · DOI 10.1080/10826084.2023.2177112 · PMID 36762461

Research notes

US-IL. Discovered 2026-10-22 for #17. Credits checked 2026-10-22 against fetched pages: Rescue Agency (its blog says IDHS/SUPR and Prevention First 'have been working with Rescue Agency to develop and implement A Dose of Truth'; years for Rescue's role not stated, 2022- assumed from the fentanyl-era spots). Funding: the site says 'Fully funded by SAMHSA through the Opioid State Targeted Response grant' (IDHS DBHR); no settlement funding found. Start year 2019 is from the oldest channel video ('Reality TV', about 7 years old). Executions: all 24 videos on the campaign channel (2026-10-22); years from YouTube relative dates. Not the same as the Wisconsin/Georgia/New Mexico 'Dose of Reality'. Ad library search: "A Dose of Truth", "Prevention First", "Illinois Department of Human Services". Evidence updated 2026-10-22: added Fernandez 2023 (formative concept testing of A Dose of Truth, previously misattached to real-deal-on-fentanyl); level stays none since it measures no campaign outcome. Reuse terms checked 2026-10-23 by an AI research pass for #47; not yet reviewed by a person.

Record cases/il-a-dose-of-truth.json, updated 2026-10-23· Link to this campaign