Anti-meth ads wait on funds

Not enough money is available yet to know exactly when the Idaho Meth Project’s statewide ad campaign depicting the negative effects of the illegal drug will begin, an official said.

“Since we’re at the whim of fundraising efforts, there’s not a certain date (for the ads to start) at this point,” said the project’s executive director, Megan Ronk. “Our goal is to have them launch in the first quarter of ‘08.”

The ads – filled with blood, images of pale young faces riddled with sores, and graphic scenes of violence, car collisions and desperate teenage criminals – were originally planned to start this month.

But Ronk said less than half of the $2.7 million goal to start the ads has been raised so far. About $1 million has been raised with the latest donation of $25,000 by the Qwest Foundation.

“We just need to be at a point where we’re confident enough that we have enough in the bank for the project for a whole year,” Ronk said. “The one thing we all want to avoid is only having it for six months, then have it fizzle out. That’s not the type of impact that we’re looking for. We want an ongoing, sustained effort.”

The ads will appear in a broad range of outlets, including television, local and high school newspapers, radio and billboards.

It’s modeled after the Montana Meth Project, an effort in that state spurred by a private, nonprofit group. Launched in Montana in 2005, the project is credited by officials with dramatically reducing meth consumption.

The Idaho Meth Project is a private, nonprofit organization operating under the auspices of the United Way of Treasure Valley.

“Ideally, we’d like to have more than half of the target in the bank (before launching the ads),” Ronk said. “If we bring in another half-million in the next 60 days, we’ll be in a really good position.”

As part of the ads, Ronk said, the project is looking for people to talk about how meth has hurt their families.

“Our main focus is 12- to 17-year-olds who are making or will be making the decision on whether to use the drug for the first time,” Ronk said. “There’s a 95 percent addiction rate from first-time use, so focusing on someone who has been using it is not really productive.”

The largest donation to the project was $500,000 from the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, given in September.

“The people and their families who are impacted with this drug go through hell,” said Ronk. “Anything we can do to prevent others from going through the same suffering, we’ve got to do it.”