Substance Abuse Treatment Center Advertising: Naloxone, Fentanyl Awareness & RecoveryPrevention, where recovery happens.
Substance abuse treatment center advertising places overdose prevention, naloxone education and recovery messages in the facilities where people receive substance use treatment. PlaceBased Media’s SAMHSA-funded naloxone education and fentanyl awareness campaign delivered prevention messages across healthcare, substance abuse treatment, community, higher education, nightlife and Tribal venues.
- 500,000+ locations
- AAM-audited delivery
- English, Spanish + 15 more languages
- Fully managed
Why treatment centers matter.
44.6 million people aged 12 or older had a substance use disorder in the past year (2025).
Source: SAMHSA, “SAMHSA Releases Annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health” (2025 NSDUH), July 27, 2026.Of the 47.2 million people aged 12 or older who needed substance use treatment in 2025, 16.0% received it.
Source: SAMHSA, “SAMHSA Releases Annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health” (2025 NSDUH), July 27, 2026.SAMHSA’s 2024 facility survey collected data from 15,953 substance use treatment facilities across the U.S., D.C. and U.S. territories.
Source: SAMHSA, “Companion Infographic Report: Findings from the 2024 National Substance Use and Mental Health Services Survey (N-SUMHSS).”Topics for Treatment Center Messaging
| Topic | Who it reaches | Message ideas |
|---|---|---|
| Naloxone education | People at risk of opioid overdose, friends and family | What naloxone is, how to recognize an overdose, where to get naloxone, calling 911 |
| Fentanyl awareness | People who use drugs and the people close to them | Fentanyl risks, overdose prevention, local prevention resources |
| Treatment and medications for opioid use disorder | People in or considering treatment | Treatment options, questions to ask the care team, staying in care |
| Recovery support | People in treatment and recovery | Peer support, recovery services, community resources |
| Family support | Friends and family members | How to help, naloxone at home, support resources for families |
| Crisis and mental health | People in treatment, families and staff | 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, co-occurring mental health resources |
The Numbers Behind Overdose Prevention Messaging
Overdose deaths
An estimated 69,973 people died of a drug overdose in the United States in 2025, and opioid-involved overdose deaths fell from an estimated 55,296 in 2024 to 44,564 in 2025. (CDC NCHS, provisional data)
Medications for OUD
Among the 4.0 million people aged 12 or older with a past-year opioid use disorder in 2025, 15.7% received medications for opioid use disorder. (SAMHSA, 2025 NSDUH)
Naloxone
Naloxone rapidly reverses an opioid overdose, but it works in the body for only 30 to 90 minutes, so calling 911 is still one of the most important steps. (NIDA)
National background figures, not PlaceBased campaign results.
Treatment Is a Process, Not a Single Visit
SAMHSA’s 2024 facility survey found that substance use treatment facilities predominantly provided outpatient services, and more than half offered medications for opioid use disorder (SAMHSA N-SUMHSS). Care often means regular visits over weeks or months, and each visit is a chance for prevention and recovery education.
That gives public health campaigns three clear moments to support:
Starting treatment
people are learning what treatment involves and what supports are available, which makes it a natural time for naloxone and overdose prevention education.
Ongoing care
repeat visits for counseling, medication and group sessions bring repeated exposure to the same messages in a trusted setting.
Recovery and beyond
recovery support, family resources and crisis lines help people and families stay connected after treatment.
Who’s in a Treatment Center Waiting Room
- People receiving substance use treatmentincluding people at risk of opioid overdose, in outpatient, residential and medication-based programs.
- Friends and family membersof people who use opioids, who come to appointments, visit or take part in family programs.
- Young adultswho the SAMHSA campaign also reached through colleges and universities.
- Counselors, clinicians and staffin staff areas and break rooms.
Who Advertises in Treatment Centers
- 01Federal agenciesnaloxone education, fentanyl awareness and overdose prevention, as in our SAMHSA campaign.
- 02State and local health departmentsoverdose prevention, naloxone access and local treatment and recovery resources.
- 03Nonprofits and recovery organizationspeer recovery support, family programs and harm reduction education.
- 04Health systems and behavioral health providerstreatment services, behavioral health clinics and crisis resources.
Plan Around the Calendar
Overdose prevention messaging runs year-round, with natural peaks around International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31 and National Recovery Month in September. Print campaigns can be planned as flights with a creative change between them, and at centers with digital displays, creative can rotate through the year without reprinting.
Treatment Centers Formats
Posters, wallboards and brochure and take-one displays are the formats at most treatment centers. Waiting room digital displays, waiting-room TV, HCP lounge placements and Mobile POC are available at select centers, depending on the facility.
Exam-room and waiting-room posters and wallboards (patient- and family-facing)
steady, close-range naloxone education, overdose warning signs and recovery resources, at most locations.
Brochure and take-one displays (patient- and family-facing)
naloxone how-to cards, family resources and local service information to take home, at most locations.
Waiting room digital displays (patient- and family-facing, at select centers)
rotating naloxone education, overdose prevention, recovery and crisis-line messages, with rotation by market or language.
Waiting-room TV (patient- and family-facing, at select centers)
health and wellness programming with ad placements, built for long waits before appointments and group sessions.
HCP lounge placements (staff-facing, at select centers)
posters and screens in staff lounges and break rooms for counselors, clinicians and staff.
Mobile POC (at select centers)
privacy-safe, geofenced extensions that reinforce in-facility messages without sensitive health data.
Formats depend on the specific center. Your plan lists the formats available at each location. See all point-of-care channels and formats.
Respectful, Stigma-Free Creative
- Your reviewYour creative goes through your own program, communications and legal review. PlaceBased doesn’t write, edit or add health claims.
- Plain, person-first languageClear, practical messages, such as where to get naloxone and who to call, work for people in treatment and their families.
- Product-free imageryIllustration or photography without identifiable people is the safest choice in treatment settings.
- Privacy-safe targetingby location, facility type and geography, never by individual patient data.
Read our guide to healthcare marketing compliance.
Targeting and Measurement
Choose treatment centers by state, DMA, county or ZIP code. Run creative in English, Spanish and 15 more languages, and reinforce naloxone messages with pharmacy advertising, since many pharmacies carry naloxone (NIDA). Extend the plan to colleges, community centers and Tribal communities, as the SAMHSA campaign did.
Delivery is audited by the Alliance for Audited Media (AAM). Every campaign also includes proof of posting with time-stamped, geo-tagged photos, delivery reporting by geography and language, and QR code and URL tracking.
For Public Health Organizations
Treatment centers reach people at one of the most important points in their care. Health departments, federal programs and nonprofits use them for naloxone education, fentanyl awareness, overdose prevention and recovery support. See how the SAMHSA naloxone education and fentanyl awareness campaign combined treatment centers with healthcare, community, education and cultural venues, read our guide to substance use prevention advertising, and use our Public Health Media Planning Guide for budgets and timelines. Our public health advertising page shows how treatment centers fit a wider community plan.
More Point-of-Care Specialties
Treatment centers sit alongside our physician-office specialties. Pair them with point of care in primary care and community health settings, which the SAMHSA campaign also used.
- Pediatrics: 7,500+ offices
- OB/GYN: 6,000+ offices
- Orthopedics: 3,500+ offices
- Dermatology: 3,000+ offices
- Cardiology: 2,500+ offices
- Gastroenterology: 2,500+ offices
- Oncology: 2,000+ offices
- Neurology: 2,000+ offices
- Endocrinology: 1,500+ offices
- Pulmonology: 1,000+ offices
Substance Abuse Treatment Center Advertising FAQs
01What is substance abuse treatment center advertising?
Substance abuse treatment center advertising places overdose prevention, naloxone education, fentanyl awareness and recovery messages in the facilities where people receive substance use treatment. Formats depend on the specific center. Posters, wallboards and brochure and take-one displays run at most locations, and waiting room digital displays, waiting-room TV, HCP lounge placements and Mobile POC are available at select centers.
02Who sees ads in substance abuse treatment centers?
People receiving substance use treatment, friends and family members who come with them or visit, and the counselors, clinicians and staff who work there.
03What topics do treatment center campaigns cover?
The most common are naloxone education, fentanyl awareness, overdose prevention, recovery support, family support and crisis resources such as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
04Has PlaceBased Media run campaigns in substance abuse treatment centers?
Yes. Our SAMHSA-funded naloxone education and fentanyl awareness campaign delivered messages across healthcare, substance abuse treatment, community, higher education, nightlife and Tribal venues. Read the SAMHSA naloxone case study.
05Can campaigns target individual patients?
No. Targeting is by location, facility type and geography, never by individual patient data.
06What else pairs well with treatment centers?
Pharmacies, community centers, colleges and other healthcare settings. The SAMHSA campaign combined healthcare, education, community and culturally specific venues into one coordinated plan.
07When should a treatment center campaign run?
Overdose prevention and recovery messages can run year-round. Many campaigns also plan flights around International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31 and National Recovery Month in September.
08How is a treatment center campaign measured?
Every campaign includes proof of posting with time-stamped, geo-tagged photos, delivery reporting by geography and language and optional QR code and URL tracking. Delivery is audited by the Alliance for Audited Media (AAM).
Pair it with
Pharmacies
Counter, shelf and screen, at pickup.
Explore pharmacies →Point of care
Waiting rooms, exam rooms and HCP lounges.
Explore point of care →Community centers
Rec centers, gyms and youth sports.
Explore community centers →Public health
Campaigns for health departments and nonprofits.
Explore public health →DOOH
Digital screens across every venue type.
Explore DOOH →See every media solution.
All media solutions →Planning a campaign? Start with our public health advertising overview, compare DOOH advertising screens, or browse every OOH and DOOH media solution. See every specialty on our point-of-care advertising page.
Let's talk.
Tell us which message and audience you need to reach, where and when. We’ll come back with treatment center locations for your markets, the formats in each and an honest read on what your budget can do.