Effort Rolling Out in 23 U.S. Cities
SPRINGFIELD, Mo., Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- 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 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, http://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
http://www.drugfree.org/meth or http://methresources.gov .
SOURCE ONDCP
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Related links:
http://www.drugfree.org/meth
http://methresources.gov
CONTACT:
Rafael LeMaitre, ONDCP, +1-202-395-6649, or
Hallie Deaktor, PDFA, +1-212-973-3528
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