CRYSTAL METH AWARENESS CAMPAIGN COMES TO ARIZONA

Bleach and drain cleaner, aren't just for household cleaning
anymore. They can be used as ingredients, along with battery acid,
brake fluid and many other harmful chemicals, in one of the most
addictive and dangerous drugs.

The use of methamphetamine, also known as meth, or crystal meth, has
been severely on the rise in the state of Arizona and across the
nation for the past 10 years. According to the Crystal Darkness
Campaign, 2.02% of children 12-years-old and older reported using
meth in 2005, and 2.91% of Arizona adults from 18-25 years old
reported having used meth.

The Crystal Darkness Campaign is sponsored by many different
organizations that want to help with the fight against the dangerous
drug. The meth campaign, which was started in Nevada, features a
30-minute documentary about the affects of meth. It features true
stories and testimonies of people that have been addicted to the
drug. It also shows pictures and videos of what it does to a person
over time, as well as the impact it has on family members and even
the community.

In the state of Arizona, the use and production of methamphetamine
is a growing epidemic. According to the meth campaign, the number of
people seeking treatment for their addiction has gone from 614 in
2000, to 3,301 in 2004.

Not only is the addiction to meth a danger for the user, but also to
the community. Meth labs in Arizona cause huge problems for the
community because the exposure to the chemicals can cause serious
health problems. The children that are in houses where meth is
produced suffer from developmental delays, and illnesses.

According to the meth campaign there were 1,412 meth lab seizures
from 2000-2006, and approximately 30-35% of seizures were residences
that contained children.

Meth also affects the community in terms of money that is spent.
Rehab, police support, child care services, and clean up after
explosions or seizures cost the government and taxpayers a lot of
money. According to the meth campaign, the cost alone for the
cleanup of the contamination from meth labs is estimated at
4.1 billion from 2000-2005.

"Crystal meth is such a huge problem here in Arizona," said Matthew
Dutile of Gordon C. James Public Relations, which is helping with
the meth campaign. "Part of the reason that it is so horrible here
is because it is close to Mexico, which is where a lot of the meth
is produced," he said.

The documentary aired Tuesday night on all local channels in Arizona
from 6:30 to 7 p.m., and 5 to 5:30 p.m. on Spanish channels.

"We had astounding viewership of the documentary," Dutile said.
"According to the Nielsen ratings there were approximately 472,000
households in the Phoenix area alone watching the documentary, but
that doesn't include the Tucson or Yuma areas."

The ratings also didn't record the rural areas of Arizona, or the
radio listeners, Dutile said. "Going of the trends that were
recorded we think that about 1.5 million people either watched,
listened or read about the documentary and the campaign," he said.

Hannah Dixon, a student who helped set up the viewing of the
documentary at Hayden lawn, said it was great that so many people
watched the documentary. Dixon said she believes viewers need to
spread the word about the documentary because it would be just as
effective as the documentary itself.

The number 1-888-METH-AID periodically ran across the screen during
the documentary, and it was for a meth help hotline. Dutile said
that the hotline was a way that people that needed help for
themselves or someone they knew could get more information about
where to receive it. Also the hotline was used as a way
that citizens could report crimes related to meth happening in
their community.

"We had a total of 416 calls, and of those, 178 were seeking help
for themselves or someone else that was addicted to meth. Of the
people that were seeking help, 15 of them required immediate
assistance," Dutile said. Not all the calls were for addiction, 24
were crime tips from people that knew of some crime occurring
that had to do with meth, he said.

"When we started this campaign our feelings were that if we could
even just help one person then this whole thing was worth it, and I
think we definitely did that," Dutile said.

Dixon said that the campaign has been extremely powerful and that
she "looks forward to seeing the changes in our community."