Hawaii Meth Project Launches New Statewide Campaign

State Leaders Join Event to Unveil New Campaign and Release Statewide Data Showing Hawaii Teens and Young Adults Are More Aware of the Risks of Methamphetamine

Honolulu, Hawaii—June 8, 2010—The Hawaii Meth Project today announced the second wave of its public education campaign, unveiling a new series of television, radio, online, and outdoor advertisements that will launch statewide this week. The high impact campaign will reach Hawaii teens three to five times per week throughout 2010 with four television commercials, nine radio spots, and six print and online ads that graphically communicate the risks of using Meth.

The new campaign was debuted at an event at Honolulu’s Palama Settlement. Kathryn Matayoshi, Interim Superintendent for the Hawaii State Department of Education, and Robert Witt, Executive Director of the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, addressed the audience, which included members of the state legislature, Hawaii Meth Project sponsors and supporters, Honolulu students and teachers, and community and business leaders from throughout the state.

Over the last year, the media campaign has included 3,800 television ads, 10,000 radio ads, 900 convenience store posters, 7,500 school posters, and 2,600 bus cards to raise awareness about the campaign’s core message, “Not Even Once.” The media campaign is part of the Hawaii Meth Project’s integrated public education program that includes community outreach conducted in partnership with local coalitions, prevention and treatment partners, law enforcement, and state and local government. Through these partnerships and its 300 active volunteers, the Hawaii Meth Project has reached more than 35,000 young people at nearly 200 local events and in more than 50 schools throughout Hawaii. Additional schools are being added as the program expands.

The results of the 2010 Hawaii Meth Use & Attitudes Survey, also released today, show that attitudes about Meth among Hawaii’s teens and young adults are changing. 54% of Hawaii teens and 67% of young adults now see “great risk” in taking Meth once or twice, which represents a 10-point increase for both teens and young adults since a benchmark survey was conducted in 2009 prior to the launch of the Hawaii Meth Project’s statewide Meth prevention campaign.

“Methamphetamine is one of the world’s most addictive, destructive substances,” said Interim Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi. "The Hawaii Meth Project campaign shows teens the stark reality of what this drug can do, and the ads grab their attention. New data tell us that students are getting the message—Meth is dangerous to try, even once. By educating our young people, the Hawaii Meth Project is improving our state for generations to come."

The advertisements unveiled today were developed based on extensive research with teens and treatment and prevention experts, and support the Hawaii Meth Project’s ongoing community outreach and education programs. They display the consequences of Meth addiction in graphic detail. In one television spot, a teenage girl ready to try Meth for the first time sees the people who will be a part of a life on Meth, including her dealer, her drug-addicted boyfriends, and her “Meth baby.” In another, a teenage boy tries Meth at a party, and is confronted by a group of Meth addicts who mock him for his belief that he will use the drug “just once.” He is confronted with the physical and social degradation suffered by those addicted to the drug. The radio ads feature real, personal accounts of local teens describing their experiences with Meth. The campaign’s core message, “Not Even Once,” speaks directly to the highly addictive nature of Meth.

The Hawaii Meth Project is based on the Meth Project model first launched in Montana in 2005.  Since the initiation of the Montana Meth Project, the state has seen significant declines in methamphetamine use. In 2005, Montana ranked #5 in the nation for Meth use. By 2009, the state ranked #39.ii Meth use among teens dropped by 63%,iii and Meth-related crimes declined 62%. In Arizona, which launched the Arizona Meth Project in 2007, and Idaho, which launched the Idaho Meth Project in 2008, teen methamphetamine use has dropped by more than 50%.

About the Hawaii Meth Project

The Hawaii Meth Project is a non-profit organization that implements a range of advertising and community action programs to reduce methamphetamine use in the state. Launched in June 2009, the Hawaii Meth Project leverages a proven model that combines extensive research with a hard-hitting, integrated media campaign. The Hawaii Meth Project is affiliated with the Meth Project, a national non-profit organization headquartered in Palo Alto, California, aimed at significantly reducing Meth use through public service messaging, public policy, and community outreach. For more information, visit www.hawaiimethproject.org.

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VIEW ADS: http://www.hawaiimethproject.org/View_Ads/index.php

PDF: "2010 Hawaii Meth Use & Attitudes Survey Reveals Significant Shifts in Attitudes Toward Meth"