ITS BEEN LAUNCHED TODAY. WE HAVE TO BRACE OURSELVES.
>> THIS IS TOUGH STUFF BUT
REALLY POWERFUL.
GOOD MORNING.
115 AMERICANS DIE FROM OPIOID OVERDOSES EVERY DAY.OM OPIOID
OVERDOSES EVERY DAY. IMAGINE THAT.
IMAGINE THAT. 115 PEOPLE.
115 PEOPLE. OVER 2 MILLION AMERICANS ARE
DEPENDENT ON OPIOIDS. THE VAST MAJORITY START BEFORE
THE AGE OF 25.
WHEN HE FIRST TOOK OFFICE,
PRESIDENT TRUMP DECLARED THE
OPIOID EPIDEMIC A NATIONAL
EMERGENCY.
THIS MORNING, AN EXCLUSIVE,
FIRST LOOK AT A NEW PUBLIC HEALTH CAMPAIGN DIRECTED AT
YOUNG PEOPLE.
YOUNG PEOPLE.
THE WHITE HOUSE BELIEVES IT WILL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.ES IT WILL
MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. >> Reporter: THE OPIOID CRISIS
IS PERSONAL TO THE NATIONS TOP
DOCTOR, SURGEON GENERAL JEROME
ADAMS.
FROM A HEALTH PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS A TOUGH BATTLE TO WAGE. THIS
IS A TOUGH BATTLE TO WAGE. A TOUGH BATTLE TO WIN.
>> TOUGH PROFESSIONALLY AND
TOUGH PERSONALLY.
TOUGH PERSONALLY. MY BABY BROTHER, PHILLIP, IS IN
PRISON DUE TO CRIMES HE COMMITTED TO SUPPORT HIS
ADDICTION.
ADDICTION.
>> Reporter: DR. ADAMS AND
KELLYANNE CONWAY, THE
ADMINISTRATIONS POINT PERSON ON
THE CRISIS, INVITED US TO THE
WHITE HOUSE FOR A FIRST LOOK AT
A BOLD, NEW PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN.EW PUBLIC EDUCATION
CAMPAIGN.
ROLLING OUT TODAY.
>> I TRIED OXY AT A COUPLE OF
PARTIES.
I THOUGHT I HAD IT UNDER
CONTROL.
I DIDNT KNOW ITD BE THIS ADDICTIVE.OW ITD BE THIS
ADDICTIVE.
>> Reporter: THIS IS ONE OF FOUR NEW ADS.ter: THIS IS ONE OF FOUR
NEW ADS. A REAL STORY, RAW, AND ALARMING.
BE WARNED.
BE WARNED. >> OPIOID DEPENDENCE CAN HAPPEN
AFTER JUST FIVE DAYS.
KNOW THE TRUTH.
SPREAD THE TRUTH.
>> Reporter: THEYRE PRETTY
POWERFUL AND PRETTY DIRECT AND ACTUALLY SHOCKING.Y DIRECT AND
ACTUALLY SHOCKING.
>> THESE ARE TRUE STORIES AND GOOD FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS FOR
SHARING THOSE STORIES SO THAT
OTHERS MAY LEARN.
>> WELL, THE ADS ARE
HARD-HITTING, BUT IT IS
IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THEYRE
ALSO SCIENTIFICALLY VALIDATED.
>> Reporter: THE NUMBERS ARE
STAGGERING.
STAGGERING.
115 PEOPLE DIE EVERY DAY FROM AN OPIOID OVERDOSE.VERY DAY FROM AN
OPIOID OVERDOSE. FOR AN ADMINISTRATION OFTEN
ACCUSED OF POLARIZING THE
COUNTRY, THIS ISSUE, THEY SAY,
MUST RISE ABOVE POLITICS.
>> THIS IS A POLITICALLY CHARGED
CITY, POLITICALLY CHARGED
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY.
WE MUST, MUST SEE THIS AS A NON-PARTISAN ISSUE, LOOKING FOR
BIPARTISAN SOLUTIONS.
BIPARTISAN SOLUTIONS.
>> Reporter: THE ADS TRANSCEND POLITICS, PRODUCED OVER THE PAST
SEVEN MONTHS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
THE TRUTH INITIATIVE, WHICH IS
KNOWN FOR ITS POWERFUL
ANTI-SMOKING CAMPAIGN, WITH ADS
LIKE THIS.
LIKE THIS. >> DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE
TOBACCO KILLS EVERY DAY?
>> Reporter: 19 YEARS OF SUCH
ADS HAVE HAD A PROFOUND IMPACT.
>> WE KNOW FROM OUR EVALUATIONS
THAT WE HAVE PREVENTED OVER A
MILLION YOUNG PEOPLE FROM
SMOKING OVER THE LIFE OF THE
TRUTH CAMPAIGN, WHICH IS
EXTRAORDINARY.
EXTRAORDINARY.
>> Reporter: THE ADS PUSH TO A NEW WEBSITE, LOADED WITHH TO A
NEW WEBSITE, LOADED WITH INFORMATION.
INFORMATION.
I UNDERSTAND THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN THE ADS.THE PRESIDENT HAS
SEEN THE ADS.
>> YES.
>> Reporter: WHATS HIS
REACTION?
>> IM TOLD THAT IT IS EXACTLY
WHAT HE HAD ENVISIONED.
HES A BRILLIANT MARKETER, SO I
TAKE THAT AS SOMETHING. >> Reporter: THE ADMINISTRATION
IS HAVING SUCCESS, THEY SAY, IN
DRIVING DOWN THE NUMBER OF
OPIOID PRESCRIPTIONS.
OPIOID PRESCRIPTIONS. >> WE KNOW THAT FOUR OUT OF FIVE
PEOPLE WHO USE HEROIN SAY THEY
GOT STARTED WITH A PRESCRIPTION
OPIOID.
OPIOID.
>> Reporter: LEGITIMATE PRESCRIPTION?LEGITIMATE
PRESCRIPTION?
>> WELL, IT STARTED AS A
LEGITIMATE PRESCRIPTION FOR
SOMEONE.
UNFORTUNATELY, FOR MY BROTHER,
HE WAS USING SOMEONE ELSES
LEGITIMATE PRESCRIPTION, THAT GOT DIVERTED AT A PARTY. THAT
GOT DIVERTED AT A PARTY. I DONT WANT IT TO BE ALL DOOM
AND GLOOM.
AND GLOOM. WE ARE HAVING SUCCESS, THANKS TO
THE ATTENTION THAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP HAS PLACED ON OVERPRESCRIBING. ON
OVERPRESCRIBING.
>> Reporter: YOU GIVE ME HOPE.
>> I HAVE HOPE.
I DO.
EVEN THOUGH MY BROTHER SITS IN
STATE PRISON ABOUT TEN MILES
FROM HERE, AT LEAST HES ALIVE.
IM HOPEFUL HELL COME OUT INTO
A WORLD THAT IS MORE ACCEPTING
OF HIS PROBLEM AS A DISEASE. >> Reporter: A NATIONALEASE.
>> Reporter: A NATIONAL EMERGENCY IN NEED OF TOUGH NEW
MEDICINE.
MEDICINE.
>> WE CAN.
WE WILL.
WE MUST OVERCOME. IT STARTS WITH PREVENTION AND
EDUCATION.
EDUCATION.
THATS WHAT THIS AD CAMPAIGN IS
ALL ABOUT.
>> MANY MEDIA COMPANIES HAVE VOLUNTEERED TO PLACE THESE ADS
ONLINE OR ON TELEVISION FOR
FREE, INCLUDING GOOGLE, AMAZON,
AND OUR PARENT COMPANY, NBC
UNIVERSAL.
UNIVERSAL. BASED ON THE REAL ESTATESEARCH,
INITIATIVE PEOPLE SAY THEY WORK
THIS WAY.
THIS WAY.
CREATE AWARENESS, CREATE
KNOWLEDGE, SHIFT IN TENSIONS, AND ULTIMATELY CHAPG BE LYLY CHA
IT DOESNT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS THIS IS A
BEGINNING OF A RANGE OF NEW
INITIATIVES.
INITIATIVES.
>> THE FACT THAT IN FIVE DAYS, SOMEONE CAN BECOME ADDICTED TO
OPIOIDS?
OPIOIDS?
I MEAN, THATS -- >> DIDNT KNOW THAT.
>> I DIDNT EITHER.
>> THINK YOUR KIDS COME HOME
WITH A 30-DAY PRESCRIPTION AFTER
HAVING THE WISDOM TEETH OUT.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> ADS ARE SHOCKING. THEYRE SUPPOSED TO BE.