Press Release |
|
For Immediate Release: Monday, November 14, 2005
| Contact: | Rafael LeMaitre,
ONDCP (202) 395–6649 Hallie Deaktor, PDFA, (212) 973–3528 |
Office of National Drug Control Policy and
Partnership for a Drug Free America
Launch Communications Campaign Targeting Methamphetamine
Effort Rolling Out in 23 U.S. Cities
Springfield, Missouri—The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Partnership for a Drug-Free America today unveiled a new advertising campaign targeting the illicit drug methamphetamine. Designed to mobilize individuals and local community groups to reduce meth use at the local level, the new effort launches Monday in Springfield, Missouri, the first of 23 U.S. cities in which the ads will run.
John Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) stated, "The methamphetamine challenge has touched communities across this Nation differently, but its devastating consequences are borne by all Americans. By helping to educate our citizens about the misery and destruction meth causes, we can work to make this problem smaller. Together with our state and local partners, we are aggressively pushing back against the drug and are working to make America a safer place."
The ad campaign combines real-life stories of people impacted by methamphetamine with scenarios that depict the unique secondhand threat meth poses to communities at large. The campaign's two main themes, "So, Who Has the Drug Problem Now?" and "End Meth in Your Town" challenge individuals to learn more about the threats meth poses to both their families and their communities.
"With concern about meth spreading across America and being introduced to a new generation unfamiliar with the lethal nature of this drug, preventative action is essential," said Steve Pasierb, President and CEO of the Partnership. "If we can persuade parents and community leaders to take a stand against this drug, we can ensure that meth will not become the next drug of choice of a new generation."
Methamphetamine is an addictive stimulant drug that can be taken orally, injected, snorted or smoked. Often called "speed" or "crystal," meth is available as a crystal-like powdered substance or in large rock-like chunks.
Once a threat largely in the Southwest, use and production of methamphetamine has moved steadily eastward, with especially severe impact on the Midwest, Northwest, and portions of the South. Meth users are prone to violence and neglectful behavior that can affect their children and neighbors, and the chemicals used in meth production are flammable and highly toxic, posing a twofold threat to the environment and residents.
Nationwide, approximately 12 million people have tried meth at least once, with 1.4 million people reporting use in the past year. While national prevalence data show meth use in the United States is slowly declining, illegal meth labs continue to threaten communities and strain local law enforcement resources in affected regions.
The advertising campaigns were created pro bono for the Partnership by two agencies, Leo Burnett of Chicago and J. Walter Thompson of New York. The research-based campaigns were subject to rigorous qualitative testing, and proved to resonant among community members, spurring them to seek information on meth and to take part in their community's efforts to fight the drug. All advertising spots direct audiences to a newly-created microsite on the Partnership's Web site, www.drugfree.org/meth.
The anti-meth ads will also run in Atlanta, Austin, Cedar Rapids, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Des Moines, Grand Rapids, Miami, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Minneapolis, Portland, Raleigh-Durham, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Francisco, Seattle, Savannah, and Tampa/St. Petersburg.
For more information about methamphetamine, please visit www.drugfree.org/meth or methresources.gov.
