California starts $40 million agency review for opioid education campaign

After U.S. opioid overdoses accelerated at the start of the pandemic, the California Department of Public Health is offering in-state agencies a $40 million assignment to educate about opioid overdose and prevention. 

The contract is available to any agency located in the state of California that brings in a minimum of $25 million annually and employs at least 20 people. The agency can’t have conflicts of interest which include work with tobacco, e-cigarette, cannabis, or pharmaceutical companies. The assignment would run from March 1, 2023 to June 30, 2025.

The request for proposals comes at a time when opioid deaths in California have risen 7.08% from May 2021 to May this year, an increase from 10,985 to 11,763 deaths. In August, California became the first state to require a urine drug screening to test for fentanyl for emergency room patients.

The $40 million sum is part of a $45.8 million allocated to the state’s Opioid Settlements Fund State Operations. The fund consists of settlement money from litigation with companies accused of contributing to the opioid crisis including McKinsey, Janssen Pharmaceuticals (owned by Johnson & Johnson), McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen.

The campaign will focus on educating people ages 16 to 21 about opioid misuse and prevention, along with those ages 20 to 34 about fentanyl.

The state’s department of health previously opened up a $40 million contract last year to create a campaign strengthening public support of vaccines. Agency Duncan Channon, based in San Francisco, was chosen in February 2021.

Such government accounts, while not as high-profile as consumer brands, can be a lucrative and stable source of revenue for agencies, especially as shops have to deal with taking more unpredictable project work from brands. For instance, state lotteries have proven to be a reliable money maker for agencies across the country.