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(Source: Multnomah County Sheriff's Office - Faces of Meth™) |
Shocking Anti-Meth Ads Shake Montana
The Montana Meth Project's disturbingly graphic anti-methamphetamine ads have caused a stir, garnering both cringes and praise, the New York Times reported on February 26.
Paid for by wealthy Montana resident Thomas Siebel, the saturation campaign began in September, and the ads were soon declared too severe for any time earlier than 7 o'clock at night. One commercial features a girl plucking her eyebrows until they are bloody and bare; another shows a teenager picking hallucination-induced scabs in the shower until the water runs red.
"People are talking about this like I've never seen anything in our state," said Attorney General Mike McGrath. "When they first came out, I couldn't walk anywhere without someone asking about it."
The ads have succeeded in gaining the attention of teenagers. Some high schools air the commercials in place of morning announcements, while others devote newspaper issues to them.
"It's like a car wreck, you can't take your eyes off it," said one teenager from Flathead High School in northwest Montana. "It's totally gross, totally graphic, you know it's going to be bad, but all you can do is watch it go down."
A Montana Meth Project survey found that most 12 to 24 year olds believed meth to be readily available, while one-quarter of them saw few risks in trying it and one-third perceived the drug to offer many benefits.
The ads, created by American History X director Tony Kaye, have ranked in the Top 20 on AdCritic.com. Siebel has been asked to speak at the National Governors Association and a Congressional town hall meeting.
"There's a human tragedy of magnificent proportion taking place here," said Siebel. "I don't think putting everyone in jail is contributing to a solution."
Montana state officials estimate that 80 percent of the jail population is attributable to methamphetamine, as is half of the foster care population.
With a $5.5 million budget for 2006 commercials, the Montana Meth Project is currently testing new ads on focus groups to ensure they are just graphic enough to shock teenagers without seeming unrealistic.
"This isn't just a few ads," said Gov. Brian Schweitzer. "If this thing works, it can be a template all over rural America."
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