Wyoming Launches Horror Based Anti Drug Campaign

DENVER, Colorado: The Wyoming Department of Health has launched a methamphetamine awareness campaign with television ads that resemble horror movies.

The "Meth Kills Wyoming" campaign is in response to the state population's meth use statistics which are higher than the national average.

Methamphetamine, also known as "meth," "speed," "crank," "crystal" and "ice," is a synthetic drug that affects the body's central nervous system. The effects are similar to those of cocaine but the drug lasts longer and is easier to make with many chemical ingredients found commonly in homes.

According to the Wyoming DOH, the state ranks in the top 1/3 for meth use among persons 12 and older. The Wyoming DOH reports that nearly 6% of Wyoming middle school students have used methamphetamine in the last 30 days.

The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance national survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that more than 6% of high school students nationwide have used meth at least once. The survey estimated that 8.5% of Wyoming youths in the same age group have used meth, almost a third higher rate than the national average.

The survey does not include children who dropped out of school and if those were included the meth use rates in Wyoming would be reported to be much higher.

The widespread use of methamphetamine in Wyoming affects both children who use the drug and children whose parents use meth. In 2003, five of the six investigated Wyoming child fatalities were directly related to methamphetamine use.

Wyoming state officials report that children are being neglected and turned over to foster care because of meth use, placing a growing burden on the state's social services.

State law enforcement officials contribute 80-90% of investigations to a connection with methamphetamine and that meth busts exceed all other drug busts in Wyoming.

In response to the drug epidemic, the state's health department enlisted the help of Denver-based ad agency Sukle Advertising & Design to strike fear into Wyoming residents about methamphetamine use.

The Sukle agency consulted high school counselors and rehab program staff to develop ideas. Their research was consistently filled with the horrible effects of methamphetamine on the brain and body, a "piece by piece" destruction process.

The creative group came up with an ad campaign based on horror movie scenes, including one with the torture of a terrified teen and another with a human brain in a meat slicer.

Mike Sukle, president of Sukle Advertising & Design, said "the horror film genre is very popular with the age group that is most at risk, and it seemed like an appropriate way of telling the horrors of meth."

The gory ad approach seems to be taking hold as Sukle reports a positive feedback. In a recent press release Mr. Sukle said "the ads seem to be sticking in people's minds and communicating that meth will mess you up in an incredibly terrible, violent manner."

The "Meth Kills Wyoming" campaign includes the television commercials as well as equally terrifying print, poster and interactive internet ads.

Sources:

http://www.methkillswyoming.org
http://wdh.state.wy.us/epiid/methcleanup.asp
"New Ads Tackle Meth With A Touch Of Horror" http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/2/prweb507138.htm