This week, Attorney General Russell Coleman launched the Better Without It campaign, a first-of-its-kind, youth-centered drug prevention program, in collaboration with coaches from Western Kentucky University, the University of Louisville, and the University of Kentucky. Student athletes, influencers, and other stakeholders around Kentucky will spread the word about the benefits of leading a drug-free lifestyle through NIL agreements and other collaborations.
Student athletes will interact with young Kentuckians on social media and other platforms, as well as on campus and at athletic events. Examples of these athletes are Trent Noah of UK Basketball, J Vonne Hadley of UofL Basketball, and Tyler Olden of WKU Basketball. The statewide education campaign will emphasize the benefits of a drug-free lifestyle while also urging youth to be self-reliant, make their own choices, and remain knowledgeable about the risks associated with drug use.
We need the appropriate messengers to effectively spread a statewide message about drug prevention to Kentucky’s youth. In order to convey to the youth of the Commonwealth that they are genuinely better off without it, we are collaborating with some of the most well-known figures in Kentucky college athletics, Attorney General Coleman stated. This is our opportunity to unite and save lives, regardless of whether you’re a Hilltopper, a L thrower, or a Bleed Blue.
According to UofL football coach Jeff Brohm, the university is honored to collaborate with the attorney general’s office in this endeavor to save lives and stop the spread of addiction in our Commonwealth. We are excited to contribute to the transformation that will enable our youth to thrive.
I get to work with young people every day who make the most of their potential and drive. Being a member of this team that will save lives throughout Kentucky makes us proud. According to UK Baseball Coach Nick Mingione, “we need young people who are better without it in order to bring a pennant home to Lexington.”
Amy Tudor, the softball coach at WKU, expressed her excitement about the opportunity to collaborate with Attorney General Coleman and participate in Kentucky’s first-ever statewide adolescent drug prevention program. We have a strong commitment to helping Kentucky’s children live drug-free lives, and we’re excited about the vital work Better Without It will do to save lives throughout the Commonwealth.
According to Eric Friedlander, a member of the Opioid Commission and cabinet secretary for health and family services, collaborating with our state colleges and student athletes is an excellent method to engage our young and encourage substance use prevention. While we in Kentucky take our sporting rivalries very seriously, we are all on Team Kentucky when it comes to giving our children the best possible future.
Today, we honor a collaboration that will save lives between some of the top institutions in our Commonwealth. Mark D. Birdwhistell, senior vice president for health and public policy at the University of Kentucky, expressed gratitude to the Attorney General, the Opioid Commission, and all others who helped to break down barriers for this significant endeavor.
Last September, the Attorney General’s two-year, $3.6 million plan to launch a youth education campaign supported by research was unanimously authorized by the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission.
In addition to the Better Without It campaign, the preventive program will assist youth-focused prevention activities by amplifying the Commission’s work and promoting already-existing school-based programs.
More than $50 million in settlement money have been disbursed by the Commission thus far to address the drug epidemic, directly assisting Kentuckians in overcoming addiction and fostering long-term recovery.
Office of the Attorney General
