Anti-Meth Ads to Target Oklahoma and Other US States
New anti-meth ads will start appearing this month through November, targeting Oklahoma and 15 other states, according to Gil Kerlikowske, the White House drug czar. The ads will appear in newspapers and on the Internet, television, billboards, and radio. Federal government ads will also appear on gasoline pumps.
One ad tells the story of Josh, who tried meth at 17 and lost virtually everything when he spiraled into full-blown addiction. He is recovering and works as a junior drug counselor. "There’s kind of a belief or myth that people addicted to meth can’t ... recover from that addiction,” Kerlikowske said. "In fact, that’s not true. They can do very well in recovery.”
During his four months in office, Kerlikowske has met at least a dozen people once addicted to meth, he said. "They’re back at home, back with their families, back with jobs and paying taxes. I think that’s a message that oftentimes doesn’t get out there,” he said.
"Meth addiction is a serious issue and not just for law enforcement. Methamphetamine ruins lives and homes. Its impact resonates across society; from health care to child welfare,” Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson said. "I hope this campaign will bring more attention to the problem here in Oklahoma and across the nation.”
The ads were influenced by Oklahoma and other states’ meth problems and lab seizures described by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Kerlikowske said. Before strict meth control measures were adopted, Oklahoma averaged 1,300 meth lab busts per year. Now busts have declined to about 300, he said. Meth users are now getting much of their drugs from Mexico, said Mark Woodward, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs spokesman.
"If you’re looking at the worst drug problem in Oklahoma because of destruction, this would be number one, because of the violence associated with this drug, the despair among families who have a drug addiction,” Woodward said.
