Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, in partnership with United Way and local advertising company BarkleyOKRP, have unveiled a city-wide public education campaign, Unfinished Legacies, to combat the growing fentanyl epidemic. Using innovative AI technology, the campaign brings real, young Kansas Citians who passed away from accidental fentanyl overdoses “back to life” to share their stories hoping to save a life.
Fentanyl deaths in Kansas City have increased more than 1,000% in five years. For deaths occurring between 2018-2022, for 18-24-year-olds, overdoses are the second leading cause of death, trailing homicide.
“Each loss to fentanyl is a tragedy shaking our entire community,” said Mayor Lucas. “By harnessing the power of the latest in modern technology, we’re giving these young people a chance to leave a legacy and one with the power to save lives. Unfinished Legacies is not about using scare tactics—it’s about honesty, education, and storytelling. My thanks to our generous partners at United Way and talented team of creatives at BarkleyOKRP who recognized how important it was to support an innovative and impactful project. Together, we’re creating a healthier and safer Kansas City.”
The City partnered with industry experts to create realistic AI-generated videos and static content from three Kansas City young people who lost their lives to accidental fentanyl overdoses recently:
- Jaden Anderson, a firecracker who cared deeply for her family and wanted to become a nurse one day.
- Victor Avalos Marmolejo, a teenager with a big heart who was on track to become a successful entrepreneur.
- Jordan Coburn, a loving young father who left behind a growing family.
The AI-generated testimonials aim to speak to and educate young people about the risks of taking counterfeit pills from friends or acquaintances—including those they trust. The campaign addresses the alarming trend of fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills leading to accidental overdoses among young people in Kansas City.
Starting today and throughout the rest of the year, Unfinished Legacies will be rolling out on social media and throughout the city on billboards, buses, bus stops, inside public gathering spaces, and more.
Creators of the campaign worked closely with family members of each loved one to ensure the content created for each is accurately and respectfully told.
Unfinished Legacies is just one part of a much bigger strategy Mayor Lucas has to understand and address the fentanyl epidemic in Kansas City. Additional measures include:
- Creation of the Overdose Fatality Review Board to review overdoses in the city annually
- Hiring of overdose investigators to investigate overdoses similar to disease investigation to track contacts, linkage to care, and provide naloxone.
- Development of an overdose reporting structure to report nonfatal overdoses from area hospitals. Timely data is key to addressing the crisis.