METH 360

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui County will hold a Crystal
Methamphetamine Prevention Seminar on Friday, May 22, from 8 a.m. to
4:30 p.m. in the Maui Economic Opportunity (MEO) Family Center
Classroom located on the first floor of the MEO Building at 99
Mahalani St. in Wailuku.

The seminar will feature an informative compilation of prevention,
treatment and law enforcement presentations by leading experts from
across the state. Specifically, the Crystal Methamphetamine
Prevention Seminar will address how drug use affects families,
schools and keiki.

The all-day seminar will feature a lineup of noteworthy guest
speakers, including Laulima Hawai'i President Gary Shimabukuro, Maui
County Councilmember Gladys Baisa, officers from Maui Police
Department and several others. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui will
also present an overview of its "Meth360" program that has been
established for families and educators across Maui County.

"Big Brothers Big Sisters has long recognized the epidemic
proportions of substance abuse among our youth, including tobacco,
alcohol, prescription drugs, cocaine, methamphetamines and
marijuana," said Executive Director Melissa Ross. "Being around kids
on a daily basis, we hear and see what they feel is normal. It's time
for Big Brothers Big Sisters to educate ourselves and pull in the
best partners we can, to be able to tell our kids that crystal meth
use is not normal, or cool."

Last summer, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui County partnered with
The Partnership for a Drug-Free America to develop the "Meth360"
Program, tapping into a national, media-based education campaign to
reduce illicit drug use in Maui County.

The "Meth360" program was initiated as a response to the changing
nature of drug use and threats that are even closer to home, such as
abuse of methamphetamine. In a media-saturated society, parents and
children are inundated with media messages about drug use among
celebrities and major sports figures. The "Meth360" program is
designed to counter those negative messages with positive prevention
strategies by channeling the talents and technologies of
professionals in the local community into effective messages through
print and broadcast ads.

"Launching a partnership with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America
underscores Big Brothers Big Sisters' commitment to combating the
scourge of drug use in our community," said Ross. "It's important for
parents, teachers, and leaders to tell young people that drugs are
bad, but it's just as important that the truth about drugs finds its
way into the important cultural subtexts. what we learn from
conversation, TV, movies, the Internet and popular music. These
messages do that."

Local solutions almost always prove to be the most effective. Big
Brothers Big Sisters has achieved this by being "on the ground,"
working hand-in-hand with youth and their parents and providing
support and assistance as part of its long-term commitment to the community.

Since the launch, the "Meth360" program has grown rapidly, helping
many Maui County residents. The organization is now prepared to share
what it has accomplished and learned thus far, as well as educate and
support concerned parents, teachers and community members.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui County is a nonprofit organization
that reaches out to at-risk youth on the islands of Maui, Moloka'i
and Lana'i. With a committed staff and talented volunteer base, the
organization promotes positive youth development through a series of
broad-based programs and provides the only professionally supported,
one-to-one mentoring program on Maui. These programs include
after-school programs and "Big and Little" mentoring programs, which
provide invaluable services to many high-risk children and
holistically address the issues of juvenile delinquency, substance
abuse and teenage pregnancy prevention.

There is a $15 participation fee for the May 22 seminar; light
breakfast, snacks and beverages will be provided.

For more information about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui County,
contact the Wailuku Mentoring Center Office at (808) 242-9754. To
register for the Crystal Methamphetamine Prevention Seminar, call
(808) 242-9754, ext. 204.