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For years, KSL has been urging that more be done to combat the terrible scourge of methamphetamine abuse in our communities. So, we are pleased to note the release of a new public awareness campaign that should help.
Appropriately, the $2 million "End Meth Now" campaign is aimed at those in Utah who use meth the most - women between the ages of 18 and 34. The television spots, billboards and print ads debunk common drug-user stereotypes. The soccer mom, not the long-haired hippy is the Utahn most likely to be addicted to meth.
The costs to society, obviously, are enormous as meth use consumes lives, devastates families and undermines communities. In 2005, for example, nearly 2,000 Utah children were placed in foster care because their mothers had substance abuse issues. That cost the state nearly $60 million.
We all know climbing a mountain requires moving forward and upward one step at a time. Unfortunately, meth abuse is a mountain that isn't stationary, but expanding, so every step onward is critical in the effort to see the use of meth eventually decline. In KSL's view, the "End Meth Now" campaign is a step in the right direction.
For more information, check out the campaign's website at www.endmethnow.org
