Pubdate: Mon, 17 Apr 2006
Source: Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ)
Page: Front Page Cover Story
Copyright: 2006 The Arizona Republic
Contact:  http://www.arizonarepublic.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/24
Author: Chip Scutari, The Arizona Republic
Cited: Montana Meth Project http://www.montanameth.org
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

STATE SEEKS ANTI-METH ADS, EYES MONTANA'S TOUGH CAMPAIGN

Montana Campaign Could Be Foundation for Arizona Fight Against the Deadly Drug

The gritty, in-your-face ads on television, radio, billboards and 
newspapers have exposed Montana teenagers to the ugly truth about the 
evil grip of meth addiction.

They're as subtle as a sledgehammer.

A billboard shows a grungy, dirty toilet with the words, "No one 
thinks they'll lose their virginity here. Meth will change that."

One TV spot shows a young man covered with scabs harassing people in 
a coin laundry and beating them up for loose change. At the end of 
the ad, the teen runs up to his pre-meth self and screams, "This 
wasn't supposed to be your life!"

Fueled by the deep pockets of software billionaire Thomas Siebel, the 
Montana Meth Project has become a national success story with its 
often-shocking content. Now, Arizona officials are close to bringing 
the provocative ad campaign to the state, where meth has taken hold 
in cities and suburbs, rural areas, affluent houses and lower-income 
neighborhoods.

On Tuesday, county and state officials, including staff members from 
the Governor's Office and the Attorney General's Office, will fly to 
Helena, Mont., to watch the latest round of TV spots and meet with 
Siebel. The multimillion-dollar ad campaign, "Not Even Once," has 
saturated the airwaves in Montana, helping reduce meth use among 
teens by as much as 30 percent.

"I just don't think we have time to waste," Arizona Attorney General 
Terry Goddard said. "I don't think there is hardly a family in 
Arizona that doesn't have some tragedy associated with meth. It's 
scary that kids think this is a drug you can experiment with at 
parties and it won't hurt you.

"We need teenagers talking to teenagers."

The goal is to have an Arizona Meth Project up and running by August, 
Goddard said. A non-profit organization in Arizona would run the 
project and continually raise funds. An advisory group, comprised of 
elected officials, doctors, business owners, educators and tribal 
officials, would be set up.

Dr. Marc Matthews, director of the trauma unit at Maricopa Medical 
Center, has seen the physical, emotional and psychological 
devastation of meth addiction firsthand.

"It's absolutely brutal," Matthews said. "The American people are 
unwilling to recognize the horror that is happening every day here in 
Arizona and across the country. The drug is almost maniacal. Once it 
gets hold of you, that's it.

"The truth is if the American people knew what was going on they 
wouldn't stand for this one bit."

The Project's Origins

Siebel, who founded Siebel Systems Inc. before selling it to Oracle 
Corp., learned about problems related to meth from Montana Attorney 
General Mike McGrath.

Siebel donated more than $6 million in August to launch the program. 
He has not taken government money and does not want any politicians' 
names or faces on the ads. The Montana Meth Project received a 
dollar-for-dollar match from television and radio station advertising 
to stretch the campaign. Arizona leaders want to have the same deal 
with local media outlets.

Goddard estimates that it will take about $5.7 million to cover about 
70 percent of the Arizona market for one year. Siebel would let 
Arizona use the ads from his Montana campaign, but he does not want 
the content changed or tweaked in any way. In a letter to Siebel, 
Goddard told the software billionaire that it would be helpful to 
have some ads tailored to Arizona's Indian tribes and Spanish-language radio.

The biggest obstacle is raising enough private and public money to 
keep the ad campaign going after its initial run of ads. Dennis 
Burke, Gov. Janet Napolitano's chief of staff, said an effective ad 
campaign must be bolstered by law enforcement.

"The governor believes the success of the project can be replicated 
as long as it is incorporated into the multiprong approach already 
initiated to combat the meth in Arizona," Burke said.

He added that Arizona must have seamless coordination between county, 
state, local governments; non-profit groups; and the private sector 
to make sure the Arizona Meth Project is a success.

Extent of the problem

The statistics are alarming:

.  In Arizona, 52,000 people used meth last year. Nearly one in five 
children age 12 to 17 have been offered meth.

.  In 2003, 42 percent of females booked into Maricopa County jail 
tested positive for meth.

.  Surveys show that 65 percent of child-abuse and neglect cases in 
the state involve meth.

.  Meth hospital admissions surged 229 percentduring 2000 to 2004, 
according to a 2005 study by the University of Arizona.

Nationally, more than 12.3 million Americans have tried meth and an 
estimated 1.5 millionare considered regular users

Authorities believe a lion's share of the meth used in Arizona is 
produced in labs in Mexico and Southern California and run by 
organized crime and street gangs. The remaining supply comes from 
makeshift meth labs in Arizona. Meth figures into a huge number of 
crimes, leaves labs that are hazardous-waste sites, and endangers 
children. Its grip is especially harsh in rural areas, said Cindy 
Furrh, founder and director of the Old Concho Community Assistance 
Center in Apache County.

"It's devastated the family unit up here," said Furrh, a drug and 
alcohol counselor since 1980. "The juvenile justice system is 
overwhelmed. This drug is cheap and easily accessible."

Furrh said the ad campaign would have to be changed a bit for kids in 
rural areas because there is limited access to mainstream news.

"A lot of this we would have to go right into the schools, churches 
and local community events," Furrh said. "I believe the Montana Meth 
Project can help a lot."

Legislation Stalled

At the Capitol, state policymakers are trying to pass legislation 
that would strengthen law enforcement. But those efforts have been 
bottled up because of other issues, such as a raft of 
illegal-immigration bills.

Napolitano unveiled a plan in February to disrupt the flow of the 
drug from Mexico and vowed to work with lawmakers on a bill that 
beefs up law enforcement and prevention programs. Republican 
lawmakers have a $15 million proposal that includes more money for 
police, prevention, education and advertising.

But that legislation, House Bill 2554, has been stalled because of 
the annual budget battle, where "money bills" are usually held up 
until the end of the legislative session.

The governor used Arizona's first conference on meth to announce a $5 
million plan that includes three teams to target meth produced in 
Mexico and brought into Arizona.

The 11-person teams, which would work in the Yuma, Tucson and Phoenix 
areas, would be hired by the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

Napolitano said these new officers could also play a role in tackling 
problems associated with Arizona's illegal immigration.

Matthews said Arizonan communities cannot live in denial about the 
effects of meth.

"This is terrorism being imported across the border." 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake