STOPPING THEM BEFORE THEY START

New Meth Prevention Project Aimed At Teens

Not even once.

That message -- along with an edgy depiction of teens prostituting
themselves, stealing rent money from their family, trying to tear off
their own skin and other horrors -- in ads by nonprofit Hawaii Meth
Project are heartening, several audience members said at a forum held
Tuesday evening in Kealakehe High School's library.

Some people think the ads that show the physical and mental
disintegration of teenagers who use highly addictive methamphetamine,
commonly known as "ice," are reminiscent of bygone anti-drug
campaigns like "This is your brain on drugs."

Many have voiced their support for the campaign, saying it's yet
another much-needed tool to get the message out there that
methamphetamine is a highly addictive, devastating drug and the fewer
people who use it the better.

Others find the campaign, primarily targeting people between the ages
of 12 to 24, harsh and disgusting. Then there's the emergency room
nurse on Oahu who told Hawaii Meth Project Executive Director Cindy
Adams that the advertisements aren't graphic enough.

Whatever the response, people are talking.

Alison Bishop, one the 11 teens who shared their stories for the
campaign, wished that such advertisements were around five years ago,
when at age 13 she tried methamphetamine out of curiosity.

If such harsh anti-meth announcements aimed at youth had existed,
Bishop said she would have probably possessed a better idea of the
human wreckage and tragedy created by this drug and not been so easily tempted.

Bishop, who is a recovering addict, bravely recounted Tuesday her
addiction to methamphetamine and alcohol, struggles with treatment,
the pain she caused to herself, family and friends, getting help, as
well as accomplishing later goals like graduating high school and
attending prom.

Mayor Billy Kenoi said preventive efforts like the campaign by the
Hawaii Meth Project is just one piece of the puzzle. He stressed to
forum attendees that it was going to take everyone to keep the
momentum going and not become complacent when dealing with the community issue.

Adams also mentioned the responsibility inside everyone to do what
they can and to continue to persevere, adding that "there's
tremendous opportunity to make a significant difference."

Oahu Family Court Judge Michael Broderick revealed to Adams that
roughly 90 percent of the court cases that come across his desk in a
calendar year are related to methamphetamine. He called
methamphetamine "one of the most addictive destructive drugs we've
ever seen in both the staggering financial burden and profound human costs."

Adams said the costs to Hawaii for treatment, health care, foster
care services, crime and lost productivity are estimated at $500
million per a year.

Hawaii ranks the fifth highest in the nation for methamphetamine use
by people age 12 and older. Roughly 7 percent of 10th-graders claim
they have used the drug, Adams said.

The first Hawaii Meth Use and Attitudes Survey, conducted in March
and April, randomly selected and interviewed 1,065 teens, 318 young
adults and 400 parents of teens. The survey found many of the state's
young people have easy access to methamphetamine, believe the drug
poses little to no risk and offers a host of benefits, such as
providing increased energy, happiness, aiding in weight loss and
alleviating boredom, Adams said.

The survey also found that there's a relatively low level of
disapproval of methamphetamine use among teens and their peers -- 41
percent said their friends would not give them a "hard time" if they
used methamphetamine and 40 percent said they have not tried to
dissuade their friends from using the drug. More than half of the
participating teens said they hadn't discussed methamphetamine with
their parents in the past year, Adams said.

Besides shocking statistics, Adams showed close-up photos of the
particularly gruesome phenomenon known as "meth mouth," where the
teeth and gums of users rapidly decay and fall out.

She also displayed images chronicling addicts' physical deterioration
over 10 years. Also at the forum was Dr. Kevin Kunz, a specialist in
addiction medicine in Kailua-Kona and the president of American Board
of Addiction Medicine, who explained the effect the drug has on the brain.

For more information, visit www.hawaiimethproject.org .