1st Place - Jana Peretti
1st Place - Michael Gotera
2nd Place - Rebecca Giglio
2nd Place - Cayla Saret
In addition, several posters were hand-picked by judges for their creativity and powerful messages. We are happy to announce the special award of “Honorable Mention” to each of the artists below:
Honorable Mention: Jackie Habchi
Honorable Mention: Mary Schulte
Honorable Mention: Rebecca Giglio
We received over 100 submissions from participants across the country showcasing the talents and the passion of the artists for the cause. We appreciate everyone’s participation in our contest and we hope that we helped you gain more knowledge and awareness about overdose prevention and naloxone.
We look forward to holding another contest next year—check back here for more details!
Who are the artists?
Jana Peretti
1st Place Winner
Hometown/State: Wellesley, MA
Why did you decide to participate?: I know people who are affected by the opioid crisis and read about its tragic effects in the news. I thought this was a very small way that I could do something positive to help.
How did you hear about the contest?: Friends who work in Boston's Longwood Medical Area
Did participation change your thoughts about opioids or naloxone?: Yes. I was not aware that naloxone was available in the State of Massachusetts without a prescription. In reading the many statistics and facts that were included in the entry form, I was educated on the real need and lifesaving science behind naloxone.
Michael Gotera
1st Place Winner
Hometown: Reno, Nevada
Why did you decide to participate? How did you hear about the contest?: I'm actually a student at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI and it was an assignment for one of my advertising classes - I had no idea the contest was even running until my professor made it one our class projects!
Did participation change your thoughts about opioids or naloxone?: It definitely made me more aware about both. It's crazy to think how opioids can be found in almost anything! People don't think twice when a doctor prescribes you medicine, yet its chemical makeup could easily have something in it that could get you addicted. It's a problem not only in Rhode Island, but everywhere in the country. I'm glad to know now there is something out there that can combat this addiction.
Rebecca Giglio
2nd Place Winner, Honorable Mention
Hometown/State: New City, NY
Organization/Affiliation: Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Why did you decide to participate?: I conduct research on overdose prevention and have studied the efficacy of naloxone when administered by bystanders with no medical background.
How did you hear about the contest?: Through my supervisor at the Center for Injury Epidemiology and Prevention and Columbia University.
Did participation change your thoughts about opioids or naloxone?: I was surprised by how my own idea of what would make a good PSA for naloxone changed over time. I knew I wanted it to be eye-catching and informative, but my first drafts were somewhat alarmist. They were dark and emphasized the deadly, destructive aspects of drug use.
I decided to change the tone and focus on normalizing naloxone, because there is already so much stigma around opioid use- I didn't want to contribute to that. I'm certainly not a graphic designer, so it was an interesting exercise to see the sorts of messages you can convey with different images.
Cayla Saret
2nd Place Winner
Hometown/State: Norfolk, MA and Cambridge, MA
Organization/Affiliation: I'm in the MPH program at Tufts University School of Medicine, focusing in Health Communication. I took an advocacy class in the fall, and my classmates and I visited Capitol Hill to talk to members of Congress about naloxone awareness. Then, in the spring, I took a media strategies course. We learned about designing creative concepts, and I used a lot of those tools to make the poster.
How did you hear about the contest?: I heard about the contest in the weekly email from my program.
Did participation change your thoughts about opioids or naloxone?: I was already interested in harm reduction approaches. I appreciate that the contest will generate discussion about these issues in addition to generating communication materials.
Jackie Habchi
Honorable Mention
Hometown/State: Cranston, RI
How did you hear about the contest: In class at URI.
Did participation change your thoughts: Not really, if anything the statistics were shocking, but we have learned about opioids and naloxone in class and I am strongly for it.
Mary Schulte
Honorable Mention
Hometown/State: Coeur D'Alene, ID
Why did you decide to participate?: I think it is incredibly important, now more than ever, for people to realize that opioid dependence really does not discriminate, and that naloxone doesn't either! We, as fellow human beings, should be able to do the same; to cast our judgments aside and just be there for one another. With Naloxone now available to the public, we shouldn't have to find ourselves in a situation where someone "could have survived" had naloxone been present.
For more information about entering the 2017 Poster Contest, please click here.