Families United for Change is determined to change the stigmatizing advertisements placed on AMTRAN buses by "Operation Our Town". "Operation Our Town is a partnership lead [sic] by area business to fight drugs and violent crime in Blair County."

Operation Our Town pays to wrap community buses with stigmatizing language such as "Choose Life! Not Drugs." Some buses also include images depicting a casket and skeleton, further feeding into the stigmas that surround substance use disorder. Insinuating that those who suffer from substance abuse disorder are not choosing life, but death is insulting not only to those suffering from the disease, but their families that are suffering too.

Families United for Change is calling on Operation Our Town to remove their stigmatizing propaganda and replace it with more inclusive, recovery-focused information. Our goal is to not feed into the stigmas, but to educate our community on substance use. Addiction is a disease, mostly caused by prescription use after injury or surgery. Opioids are powerful and rewrite the decision-making part of the brain. Many doctors prescribe painkillers like they are candy, and we trust their decision… then it is too late; the damage has been done.

If Operation Our Town removes their stigmatizing propaganda and to replace their bus wraps with more inclusive, recovery-first language, our struggling community members, and their families- as well as those visiting our city would feel supported.

Support matters. Those who do not support their neighbors through their struggles but would rather shame and exploit their neighbors are no longer a community. Please sign our petition to remove the stigmatizing language on our buses and replace them with more inclusive, recovery-focused language and help us educate our community!