Cites Progress in Anti-Meth Efforts and Importance of Cooperation Among Law Enforcement, Prevention, and Treatment to Continue the Fight

(St. Louis, MO)?The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director, Gil Kerlikowske, today unveiled a new anti-methamphetamine (meth) ad campaign launched in Missouri and across the country, with particular focus on 16 States where meth prevalence, and lab seizures and incidents, are high.  Director Kerlikowske was joined by U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan (MO-03), Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster, and Colonel James Keathley, Superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

"Despite the overall decline in meth usage across the country, we still have work to do," said Kerlikowske.  "This drug leaves a path of destruction that affects individuals, families and entire communities.  Only by working together, can we rid the Nation of this insidious drug.  This campaign complements the hard work done on a daily basis by members of law enforcement and the drug prevention and treatment communities to prevent meth use and encourage those affected by meth to understand that recovery from meth addiction is possible."

The Anti-Meth Campaign, in its third year of coordination by ONDCP's National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, includes new advertising for TV, radio, print, Internet, billboards, and gas pumps. Using a "tiered" media approach, the Campaign ensures that all states receive a level of paid media support, with proportionally more media spending in 16 States with higher meth prevalence rates, based on national survey data, as well as a small group of Midwest States where meth lab seizures and incidents tend to be high. The new TV, radio, print, Internet, and out-of-home ads will run from September to November 2009 in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Nebraska.  Additionally, radio ads and Internet search ads will run nationwide during the same time period.

The ads' messages focus on meth use prevention, as well as provide information for meth users and their families who are seeking recovery services.  The primary target audience for the Anti-Meth Campaign is young adults, ages 18 to 34, whose meth use tends to be highest across the country. The new advertisements were created by Publicis & Hal Riney in San Francisco, the pro bono advertising agency, in coordination with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America.  In early 2010, the television ads will be available as free public service announcements (PSAs) for non-profits, State, and local government offices to customize and use in their own communities.  

"Our communities have been fighting this problem for years, and we've learned that the key to victory is a comprehensive program of prevention, education, remediation and wraparound treatment," said U.S. Representative Russ Carnahan (MO-03).  "The additional resources this new campaign is bringing into our state can only help bring us one step closer to winning the war against meth."

"In Missouri, members of law enforcement, criminal justice, drug prevention and treatment communities have been working diligently on the meth problem," said Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster.  "But our work continues, and we still have further to go to ensure that our citizens are safe from meth.  This campaign supports our work in law enforcement - and the work of our many community partners in drug prevention and treatment."

"We are pleased to welcome Director Kerlikowske and the dedicated representatives of St. Louis and Missouri law enforcement and criminal justice, drug prevention and treatment to launch this important ad campaign here in St. Louis," said St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay. "Meth is certainly a critical community problem, not just for the individuals who use it, but for the family, friends, and people working every day to fight the terrible scourge of methamphetamine."

According to the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than five percent of Americans age 12 and older have tried methamphetamine at least once in their lifetimes.  In 2007, there were an estimated 529,000 current users of methamphetamine aged 12 or older.  Missouri leads the Nation in reported meth lab seizures and incidents, according to recent data from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Josh, a Dunklin County, Missouri resident, is featured in the campaign's open letter print ad.  The ad tells the story of Josh's meth initiation at age 17, which led to addiction, the loss of his job and house, and the trust of his family. Through a treatment program mandated through the Dunklin County Drug Court, administered by the Honorable Phillip Britt, Josh has fully recovered and now works as a junior drug counselor at an area treatment facility.  Both Josh and Judge Britt, now Drug Court Commissioner of the 35^th Judicial Circuit of Missouri, spoke at the press conference.

"We know that a comprehensive, community approach to fighting meth is vitally important, and this includes the message that recovery is possible," said Kerlikowske.  "Josh's story illustrates that message and provides the real potential for hope to families struggling with the many effects of this devastating drug."

Meth is an addictive stimulant drug that can be taken orally, injected, snorted, or smoked. Often called "speed" or "ice," meth is available as a crystal-like powdered substance or in large rock-like chunks.  Meth users are prone to violence and neglectful behavior that can affect their children and neighbors.  The chemicals used in meth production are flammable and highly toxic, posing a threat to both the environment and residents.

For more information about the Anti-Meth Campaign, to view advertising and other resources, and to learn about how to order free PSAs, visit www.methresources.gov.

Since its inception in 1998, the ONDCP's National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign has conducted outreach to millions of parents, teens, and communities to prevent and reduce teen drug use.  Counting on an unprecedented blend of public and private partnerships, non-profit community service organizations, volunteerism, and youth-to-youth communications, the Campaign is designed to reach Americans of diverse backgrounds with effective anti-drug messages.

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In this challenging economy, many people have curbed discretionary expenses like vacations, entertainment and shopping excursions. Unfortunately, many folks - even those with medical insurance - are also cutting back on healthcare services they can no longer afford, including preventive care, check-ups and medications for chronic conditions.

This short-term budgetary fix could have disastrous long-term effects, as easily treated or preventable conditions morph into much more serious - and expensive - illnesses.

While our government wrestles with solving the national healthcare crisis, here are a few suggestions for stretching your healthcare dollars and ensuring your family receives proper care:

Use your plan wisely. Most health insurers supply educational materials on preventive care such as quitting smoking, weight loss and chronic disease management (like diabetes and high cholesterol). Many even provide financial incentives for completing treatment programs, getting immunizations and using generic drugs, since these practices save money in the long run.

Check your carrier's website for details, or visit the HHS's "Prevention" site (www.hhs.gov/safety) for information and web links on such topics as fitness, nutrition, risky behavior modification and much more.

Free screenings. Many pharmacies, clinics and health organizations such the National Kidney Foundation (www.kidney.org) and the American Academy of Dermatology (www.add.org) provide free screenings for illnesses such as kidney disease, skin cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Search "free screenings" at www.hhs.gov for nearby screenings.

Bargain with providers. Before going without needed care, speak to your doctor, dentist or hospital about your financial difficulties and see if they'll work with you to reduce fees or allow installment payments. They may also be able to suggest alternate treatments or connect you with programs that will help pay for your care.

For example, most pharmaceutical companies offer patient assistance programs (PAPs) that provide uninsured and low-income people access to drugs they couldn't otherwise afford. Ask your doctor, pharmacist or clinic how to proceed, or visit Partnership for Prescription Assistance (www.pparx.org), which has enrollment information on over 475 public and private PAPs, including links to Medicaid programs.

Laid off? File for COBRA. Under the 2009 economic stimulus plan, the government will pay 65 percent of the cost of COBRA coverage for up to nine months for employees laid off between September 1, 2008, and December 31, 2009. Granted, coverage is still expensive, but far less so than if you were uninsured and incurred a serious accident or illness.

Use public resources. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) helps fund over 7,000 community health centers serving millions of uninsured and underinsured Americans. Patients pay based on what they can afford for services such as routine checkups, maternity care, immunizations, prescription drugs, and dental, mental health and substance abuse care.

To learn more about this program and find the closest HHS-supported center, visit http://bphc.hrsa.gov. In addition, many university teaching hospitals and dental schools operate clinics on a sliding payment scale.

Medicaid. Many uninsured people not yet eligible for Medicare can obtain medical coverage through state-administered Medicaid programs. To learn more, visit www.cms.hhs.gov/MedicaidGenInfo.

Don't let financial worries cause you to ignore your family's health needs. Resources are available; you just need to seek them out.

MADISON, Wis. - When diabetes educator Eva Marie Vivian sees overweight minority children, she sees a generational tragedy unfolding.

Type 2 diabetes was virtually unheard of in children a generation ago, but now as many as 3,700 young people were newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in a single year ? a diagnosis much more common among Native American, Hispanic or African American children. At current rates, it is estimated that one in three children born in the year 2000 will eventually develop diabetes. And it's not just the diabetes -- cardiovascular disease, kidney and eye damage, and other complications can follow uncontrolled diabetes.

"A 12-year-old with Type 2 diabetes may develop coronary artery disease by age 35,'' said Vivian, associate clinical professor in the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy. "We're talking about a generation of children that might not outlive their parents."

Vivian says that some heavily Hispanic zip codes in Los Angeles have rates of childhood obesity approaching 90 percent. And her recent research in Madison, Wis., shows that things aren't much better in the Midwest. She recently screened 86 children (63 percent African-American, 34 percent Latino, 3 percent white) in community settings such as churches and food pantries. She found that 54 percent were overweight or obese, conditions that can set them up for developing Type 2 diabetes, in which the body becomes resistant to insulin.

"While more than half of the children were overweight, it's interesting that only 10 percent of parents reported that they thought their children were overweight,' Vivian said. "It may be because many of the parents are overweight themselves."

So, is this merely a case of children inheriting bad genes? No.

"Genes may load the gun, but your environment and lifestyle pull the trigger,'' Vivian said.

As part of her screening, she queried parents about the factors causing children to gain weight. What she learned is startling:

• · About 31 percent of the children consume fast food more than twice a week
• · 86 percent watch more than two hours of television.
• · Among the obese and overweight children, television watching was more than three hours a day.
• · The parents themselves reported being too busy with work to prepare home-cooked meals.

Vivian's research is aimed at identifying factors that people can change to lose weight and reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Her work is funded by the UW Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR), part of a national effort to get medical research more quickly from the laboratories into the community.

She has just received a second grant to create a community-based intervention program that will go into the neighborhood centers with programs for children and parents. While the children would be in exercise classes led by trained instructors from the UW School of Kinesiology and formerly overweight teenagers who have successfully changed their own lifestyles, parents would be learning about healthy shopping, cooking and family lifestyle changes.

"One problem is that some parents also eat unhealthy foods, and the children follow their parents,'' Vivian said. "The good news is that when you ask adults to change their lifestyle, they're more likely to be receptive if it involves helping their children."

Is Your Child At Risk For Diabetes?

1. Is your children African-American/black, Latino/Hispanic, Native American or Asian/Pacific Islander?

2. Does your child have a sister or brother with diabetes?

3. Does your child have a parent or grandparent with diabetes?

4. Has a health care provider told you your child is overweight or do you feel your child is overweight?

5. Does your child (between ages 10 and 19) get little or no exercise?

6. Does your child have a dark skin patch around the neck or in the armpits?

7. Has a doctor said your child has high blood pressure?

8. Has a doctor said your child has high cholesterol?

9. Has your daughter had irregular periods, excess facial hair or unusual weight gain?

If you answered yes to two or more questions, your child may be at risk for having or developing diabetes. You should talk to a health care provider.