855-HOW-TO-QUIT-(OPIOIDS) (US)
Turning Pills into Hope: Opioid Helpline Connects Users with Survivors When They Need It Most
More than 6.1 million people in the US struggle with opioid addiction. However, due to valid medical applications, opioids remain widely accessible. While there are many support and treatment options, the challenge is for people with substance abuse disorder to take the first step.
855-HOW-TO-QUIT. A helpline that reaches people suffering from addiction in the most critical moment – when they have a pill in their hand. It turns the object of addiction into a way out, by using the mandatory imprint codes on opioid pills into phone extensions: codeine (IP33) is dialed as 4733, oxycodone (K9) as 59. The caller then hears the story of someone who managed to quit that very pill –live whenever the survivors’ availability allows, pre-recorded for 24/7 service.
The campaign consisted of OOH ads were placed in contextually relevant spots, like near pharmacies and known meeting spots of people struggling with addiction. An emotional film brought the campaign to TV. On social media, influencers known to have quit opioids promoted the helpline to their millions of followers.
The initiative was developed by healthcare consultancy Anzen Health, together with a coalition of NGOs, activists, artists, and media companies. Within the first 4 weeks, the campaign reached 137M people through OOH, film, and PR. Over 8000 calls came in during that time, with an average call duration of 4:12 minutes.