write up part 2

8/4/2019 Write Up Part 2

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MEDIA ALERTOctober 13, 2008

WHAT:

Live event promoting meth abuse intervention at CSUF

Meth Abuse, Whats Your Excuse? 2008 campaign.

WHO: Meth Abuse, Whats Your Excuse? 2008 campaign

And CSUF ASI student government.

WHEN: October 15, 2008October 30, 2008

11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

WHERE: California State University Fullerton

800 N. State College Blvd.

Fullerton, CA 92831- 3599

PARKING:

Arts Drive (on campus, east of intersection of ArtsDrive and State College Blvd.) Fullerton, CA 92831.

Parking is free.

BACKGROUND: Meth Abuse, Whats Your Excuse? campaign focuses

on a few main issues that include the dangers of meth use in our commu-

nity, the responsibility of friends and loved ones to help meth users escape

their addiction, the availability of treatment options in their area and the

ability of non users to save the life of a friend in need.

NEWS INTEREST: This will be an excellent opportunity for the press to

captivate the student bodys attention in the Fullerton area. This event will

provide further opportunities to interview students on their unique points of

view.

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INFORMATION: Melanie Getman

Jonathan Barba

Tiffany Gooden

[email protected]

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PITCH LETTERAugust 4th 2002

Barbara Giasone

OC Register

65 North Grand Avenue

Santa Ana CA 92701

Dear Barbara Giasone

I have recently read your series of articles featuring the St. Jude RichmanPark Neighborhood Health Center in Fullerton and found your stories very

effective in publicizing the positive impact of this clinic to the

surrounding community. After reading your articles, my organization Meth

Abuse, Whats Your Excuse, a methamphetamine abuse intervention

health campaign, has reached out to the St. Jude Richman Park HealthCenter to assist us in our efforts to ght meth use in the surrounding

Fullerton and Orange County community. Our collaboration with this clinic,

and the joint effort to curb a prevalent drug problem provides you with

another opportunity to highlight the positive impact of the St. JudeNeighborhood Health Center on the North Orange County community.

The prominence of Methamphetamine abuse in Orange County is

staggering. A person is eight times more likely to have used

methamphetamine in Orange County than the rest of the United States.

Within Orange County, the Northwest region accounts for the most

treatment admittances in the county, however most of these admittances

come only after the meth user has been convicted of a crime in the local

justice system. There is consistent local data showing that meth use leads

to violent crimes, unemployment, severe physical ailments, chronic

addiction and even death. Our campaign seeks to emphasize the

following goals concerning meths destructive cycle:

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Methamphetamine use leads to severe consequences and even casual

meth use is the rst step in a very destructive cycle.

People close to meth users need to feel a sense of responsibility to

intervene in this cycle because users often cannot escape their addiction

on their own.

Effective resources are available to aid those who want to save the lives of

someone they know who is suffering from meth addiction.

To help you in creating a compelling article I have included a backgrounder

featuring important data regarding meth use in Orange County. I have alsoprovided campaign materials including a FAQ sheet, key talking points,

a brochure, a campaign poster, and a media advisory for our upcoming

events in collaboration with the St. Jude Richman Park Neighborhood

Health Center.

Photo opportunities will be available at our event that will feature music,

guest speakers and informational booths.

May I call you next week to follow-up on this article? In the meantime, if

you have any questions call me at (714) 656-7628.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Barba,

Meth Abuse, Whats Your Excuse?

2008 Meth Intervention Campaign

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PITCH LETTERAugust 4, 2008

Dede Ginter

Fullerton Observer

P.O. Box 7051

Fullerton, CA 92834-7051

Dear Dede Ginter:

I regularly follow up on the Fullerton Observerand have enjoyed your

compelling stories on important and relevant Fullerton issues such as

gangs, disaster preparedness and the local economy. I have noticed

however, that you have not covered the important issue of

methamphetamine addiction and its severe impact in the Fullerton area.

Our campaign, Meth Abuse, Whats Your Excuse, a methamphetamine

intervention campaign, is seeking to build awareness to this issue and

would like to provide you information to introduce another important topic to

your readers.

The prominence of Methamphetamine abuse in Orange County is

staggering. A person is eight times more likely to have used

methamphetamine in Orange County than the rest of the United States.

Within Orange County, the Northwest region accounts for the most

treatment admittances in the county, however most of these admittances

come only after the meth user has been convicted of a crime in the local

justice system. There is consistent local data showing that meth use leads

to violent crimes, unemployment, severe physical ailments, chronicaddiction and even death. Our campaign seeks to emphasize the

following goals concerning meths destructive cycle:

Methamphetamine use leads to severe consequences and even casual

meth use is the rst step in a very destructive cycle.

-more-


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People close to meth users need to feel a sense of responsibility to

intervene in this cycle because users often cannot escape their addictionon their own.

Effective resources are available to aid those who want to save the lives of

someone they know who is suffering from meth addiction.

To help you in creating a compelling article I have included a backgrounder

featuring important data regarding meth use in Orange County. I have also

provided campaign materials including a FAQ sheet, key talking points,

a brochure, a campaign poster, and a media advisory for our upcomingevents in collaboration with the St. Jude Richman Park Neighborhood

Health Center.

Photo opportunities will be available at our event that will feature music,

guest speakers and informational booths.

May I call you next week to follow-up on this article? In the meantime, if you

have any questions call me at (714) 656-7628.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Barba,


2008 Meth Intervention Campaign

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BACKGROUNDER

Problem:

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), as of 2006 there

were 731,000 current users of methamphetamine, 1.3 million people who

have tired it once and 10.4 million who have used in the last year.

This drug not only affects the user, but the loved ones and community

around them.

History:

Japanese chemist named Nagai Nagayoshi in 1893 synthesized meth.

Akira Ogata later synthesized into crystal form in 1919.

In 1970 US passed the Controlled Substance Act, which greatly prohibited

production of methamphetamine.

Current situation:

DEA classies methamphetamine as a schedule II stimulant and has high

potential for abuse.

Orange County Methamphetamine Task Force (OCMTF) research shows

that meth labs are normally uncovered every 166 square miles. In Orange

County however, there is one incident every 24 square miles.

The National Drug Intelligence Center has lowered the production of

methamphetamine in the states by regulating the chemicals used to make

the drug.

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Mexico has become the leading supplier of methamphetamine for the US.

Demographics: White Non-Hispanics represent 69.5%

Hispanic 23.4%

Black 2.6%

Asian/ PI 2.1%

American Indian 0.4% and other 1.9%

Males 49.9%

Females 50.1%

Ages 18-25 in drug treatment, Hispanics (41.9%) Whites (23.6%).

Ages 35+ in drug treatment, Whites (39.9%) Hispanics (20.3%). Age at rst use, (24.3%) 18-35, (16.2%) 15-17.

Mortality rate (35.7%) 41-50, (31.4%) 31-40, (19.0%) 18-30,

Effects:

UCLA Substance Abuse Program research explains that

methamphetamine causes a rush of dopamine in the brain causing

euphoria.

Others more harmful symptoms of meth include depression,

sleeplessness, weightless, paranoia and aggressive behavior.

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FEATURE ARTICLEFOR INFORMATION:

Larry Welborn

625 N. Grand Ave.

Santa Ana, CA 92701

FROM INFORMATION:

Melanie Getman


(858) 829-6733

[email protected]

FOR RELEASE: September 15, 2008

METH ABUSE, WHATS YOUR EXCUSE?The social responsibility of helping meth abusers escape addiction

Jason Steele could have prevented the death of his friend George Martinez,

and while he stood at his friends funeral, he looked back on all the things

he could have done to help. Jason had watched his friend fall deeper into

the addiction of methamphetamine but felt powerless to stop it.At rst Jason did not recognize the signs of drug use, mistaking lack of

appetite and weight loss with stress from school. As the symptoms

continued, the signs of a deeper problem began to surface.

There were spans of days where George wouldnt sleep at all,

staying up all night cleaning his house or reorganizing his garage for hours

on end Jason said.

Jason did not recognize the early signs of meth use, the beginning stages

where the person feels active and energized by the drugs powerful effects.According to Dr. Patron from St. Jude Hospital, methamphetamine

addiction severely affects the brain as well as the body. Psychotic

behavior occurs due to chemically altered brain cells.

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When a person subjects themselves to prolonged exposures of meth use,

the drug begins to change the pleasure receptors in the brain, making it

physically impossible to feel happy without the drug.

This leaves the user with a dependency that is very hard to break.

Georges dependency to meth left him resorting to petty theft, stealing from

friends and loved ones in order to score more drugs.

George would lie to his parents claiming he needed money to pay

his utility bills, but would just turn around and spend it on meth, Jason

said. It was around this time I realized something was seriously wrong

with him, he lost his will to live and we drifted further apart.

Breaking the addiction to methamphetamine is an incredibly difcult task.

Many meth users cannot quit the habit alone, and most need outside help

and support when doing so. Jason could have been the support George

needed, but instead, Jason stood idly by watching his friend spiral deeper

into the addiction that was quickly claiming his life.

I didnt know what to do to stop him, Jason said, I feel by not inter-

vening in his addiction, I enabled this to happen.

As George fell deeper into his addiction to meth, his crimes became moresevere. George spent multiple months in jail having short meth free peri-

ods, but always turning back to the addiction in the end. As Jason watched

his friend lose everything he ever owned and loved, he started searching

for some way to bring Georges former life back to him.

I found a lot of helpful information from Meth Abuse, Whats Your

Excuse? 2008 Campaign, Jason said, But by the time I found information

on what could be done to help, Georges addiction had taken a turn for the

worse.

St. Judes ofcial medical report conrmed, Georges lethal combination of

methamphetamine, heroin and alcohol, was the cause of his early demise.

George had only been using for a couple of years, but in that short period

of time, lost everything he had ever known, including his job, his apartment,

his friends and family, and nally his life.

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This is just one story of thousands that occur in Fullerton and the Orange

County area. In the year 2006, the Northwest region of Orange Countyhad the highest methamphetamine use in all of Orange County. These

people are mothers, fathers, siblings and friends. They are your neighbors

and methamphetamine has destroyed their lives.

For more information on treatment centers in your area, visit our website:

whatsyourexcuse.com, and stop enabling the destructive nature of a loved

one in need. Whats your excuse?

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TELEVISION AD SCRIPT

Scene: A young depressed man (Age: 25) is standing in the far corner of

small dark room wearing casual dark clothing. He begins to tell a tale of

the tragic loss of his friend to methamphetamine abuse. As he tells the tale,

the man walks towards the camera, which is centered, on the other side of

the room. As the man walks towards the camera his tale transitions from

talking about his horrible experience and the guilt that he felt for the loss of

his friend to warning the viewer that if they do not do anything to help their

friend or family member they are enabling the demise of someone they

care about. In the beginning, the man says I had no excuse and relateshis story in the distance, but as he walks closer to the camera (viewer) the

story becomes closer to them, directed at them and relates to someone

they know. In this way the mans walking closer to the screen is

metaphorical for bringing the problem of meth abuse closer to the viewer

and relating it to someone that they can help escape this addiction. The ad

ends with a black background and the text:

Find Meth Treatment at

whatsyourexcuse.com

Script: I had no excuse for losing my friend to methamphetamine abuse. I

knew that he was using, but I did not know that it would take his life away. I

didnt realize that he was helpless against the addictive nature of this drug.

I didnt think that I had a responsibility to help him escape his addiction.

I didnt feel responsible until he died from a meth overdose. If you know

someone who is using meth you should know that treatment is available.

Like my friend, the person you know cant escape the grip of this drug on

his or her own. The guilt that I feel everyday is overwhelming. Now you

know the destructive nature of this drug. Now you know that you can help.Now you know that youre going to lose someone you love, but like me

youre not doing anything to save their life. Whats your excuse?

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RADIO AD SCRIPT

Script: I had no excuse for losing my friend to methamphetamine abuse. I

knew that he was using, but I did not know that it would take his life away. I

didnt realize that he was helpless against the addictive nature of this drug.

I didnt think that I had a responsibility to help him escape his addiction.

I didnt feel responsible until he died from a meth overdose. If you know

someone who is using meth you should know that they are on a horrible

path to destruction. Like my friend, they dont want to die, but they cant

escape the grip of this drug on their own. The guilt that I feel everyday is

overwhelming. Now you know the destructive nature of this drug. Now youknow that you can help. Now you know that youre going to lose

someone you love, but like me youre not doing anything to save his or her

life. Whats your excuse? Find treatment at

whatsyourexcuse.com.

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