Press Release

View the Ads Meth Faces (PDF) Mug Shot (PDF) Doll (TV) Head (TV)

Chicago, IL (June 5, 2006)—The Partnership for a Drug-Free America, along with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, today introduced a new communications campaign aimed at preventing use of the illicit drug methamphetamine in the Hispanic community. The English and Spanish-language campaign messages, which include public service advertisements for television, radio and print, will receive national distribution, making this the largest scale Spanish-language anti-meth effort to date.

The research-based prevention campaign targets two audiences-Hispanic young adults ages 18-25, the demographic most likely to use meth, and adults ages 25+, especially parents and family influencers in extended families.

"Expanding the meth communications campaign to reach millions more individuals addresses the immediate need to educate the Hispanic community about the dangers of methamphetamine," said John Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). "Drug use affects every community in America and cuts across all segments of society. We will continue to work to develop anti-drug prevention and education strategies to reach all Americans."

The campaign follows the release of a new Partnership research study revealing a troubling vulnerability among Hispanic teens when it comes to meth use. Historically, rates of illicit drug use in the Hispanic population are lower than those in White or Black populations. Data on methamphetamine, however, mark a concerning departure from that trend, with Hispanic meth use on par with that of White populations, and far higher than Black or Asian populations.

According to the 2005 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study:

• Hispanic teens are almost twice as likely to have tried meth than White or Black teens. 12.8 percent of Hispanic teens grades 7-12 reported lifetime trial of meth in 2005 versus 7.1 percent of White and 6.2 percent of Black teens.
• 1 in 3 Hispanic teens grades 7-12 reports having close friends who use meth, versus 1 in 5 among White or Black teens
• Only 49 percent of Hispanic teens—less than half—see "great risk" in trying meth once or twice.

Additionally, qualitative research among Hispanic parents revealed a low awareness of meth's prevalence and its dangers, along with a lower than average frequency of talking to their kids about drugs. Just 35 percent of Hispanic parents reported talking to their kids about drugs four or more times per year, compared with about 50 percent for Black or White parents.

"These numbers are a warning sign for Latino parents and families, and the message is clear: now is the time to learn about the risks of meth and share that information with your children," said Mike Townsend, executive vice president, Partnership for a Drug-Free America. "We cannot allow methamphetamine to become a more destructive threat to Latino families, or to become a mainstream drug for teens, and the best way to prevent that is to help adults, family influencers and teens understand how meth can destroy their health and their future."

The young adult messages, available in both Spanish and English, paint a graphic portrait of the devastating physical and psychological consequences of meth use. One television spot, "Head" features a young girl talking to a friend, downplaying the effects of her meth use. As she talks, her sunglasses are removed to reveal sunken eyes, a scarf taken off to show the telltale skin lesions common among meth users, and when she smiles, she shows off a mouthful of loose, rotting teeth.

The adult-targeted messages, available only in Spanish, appeal to parents and family influencers to be proactive in learning and talking to teens and young adults about the dangers of meth. The messages emphasize the price of doing nothing-stressing that no matter how awkward the conversation, meth is a threat that must not be ignored.

Methamphetamine is an addictive stimulant drug that can be taken orally, injected, snorted or smoked. Often called "crystal meth," "ice" or "speed," meth is available as a crystalline powdered substance or in large rock-like chunks.

Once a threat largely in the Southwest, use and production of methamphetamine has moved steadily eastward, with especially severe impact on the Midwest, Northwest, and portions of the South. Meth users are prone to violence and neglectful behavior that can affect their children and neighbors, and the chemicals used in meth production are flammable and highly toxic, posing a twofold threat to the environment and communities.

Nationwide, approximately 12 million people have tried meth at least once, with 1.4 million people reporting use in the past year.

The advertising messages were created pro-bono for the Partnership by Revolución Hispanic Communications, a New York-based agency. The campaign includes two television ads ("The Head" and "The Doll" in Spanish and English), one radio spot ("Look in the Mirror" in Spanish) and two print messages ("Guilty" and "Body Parts" in Spanish only). The campaign was subject to rigorous qualitative testing among Hispanic teens and parents, and all ads direct audiences to the Partnership's meth Web site, www.drugfree.org/meth and to a toll-free number, 1-888-8no-meth. For more information about methamphetamine, please visit www.drugfree.org/meth or www.methresources.gov.