Caroline Goes Purple

Caroline County is Going Purple!

This September, Caroline County, in partnership with Drug-Free Caroline and other community stakeholders, will be launching “Caroline Goes Purple,” a month-long project to build awareness of the critical opioid epidemic facing our community.

“The crisis is real – and it’s here,” said Sheriff Randy Bounds. “This epidemic is like nothing I’ve seen in my law enforcement career. This drug does not discriminate and families from all walks of life are being hit hard. But we can’t fight this with arrests alone – prevention is the long-term key to success. That’s why Caroline Goes Purple is so important.”

Overdoses are now the leading cause of accidental death for those under age 50. In fact, overdoses kill more people each year than car accidents and homicides – combined. Four out of five heroin users started with recreational use of prescription painkillers. Seventy-five percent of teens say they can easily get prescription painkillers from a family member’s medicine cabinet. And in Caroline County, 5% of high school students report that they have tried heroin.

Join the Movement!

September is National Recovery Month, and its signature color is purple. For the month of September, we encourage all Caroline County residents to “Go Purple” in any way they can and to focus their attention on this issue their community is facing.

● Go Purple! Light your home purple and think of creative ways your workplace or business can show support and raise awareness by Going Purple.
● Spread the word! Share our educational messages on social media.
● Talk about it! Engage in a conversation with your family about prescription drugs, and really listen to what your kids say.
● Take action! Lock up your prescription drugs and safely dispose of ones you aren’t using. Get Narcan trained and carry it with you – you could save a life.
● Join the conversation! Attend one our community conversations about the opioid crisis.

For more information on Caroline Goes Purple, please contact Jennifer Farina at purple@drugfreecaroline.org or 410-479-0660.

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~ Caroline County Goes Purple

Editor’s Note:
Kent, Queen Anne’s and Caroline are going Purple in September for National Recovery Month to build awareness of the critical opioid epidemic facing our community.