Published: October 07, 2008 12:19 am            

Combating meth addiction

EDMOND — I am excited about a bold new initiative taking aim at methamphetamine addiction in Oklahoma. Meth has destroyed the lives of many Oklahomans, and the Crystal Darkness campaign, co-chaired by first lady Kim Henry and Burbridge Foundation President Wes Lane, opens up a new front in the war against meth addiction.

Since Oklahoma enacted landmark legislation regulating the sale of pseudoephederine, the number of meth labs in our state has plummeted. But many Oklahomans — including many of our young people — remain addicted to this insidious drug.

The Crystal Darkness initiative aims to attack the scourge of meth by preventing new users from taking up the habit. Prevention is not only more cost-effective than treatment or prison, it also spares Okla-homa families from the very real pain of addiction. Addition-ally, the program will encourage those already suffering from meth addiction to seek treatment.

The first phase of the program is a 30-minute documentary that will air on television stations across Oklahoma at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 13 of next year. On that night and in the following days, call centers statewide will be available for Oklahomans seeking help for themselves or loved ones.

Phase two of the Crystal Darkness campaign will take the fight to schools, parents and community groups with drug awareness education and training. The more Oklahomans know about the dangers of meth and the signs of addiction, the harder it will be for the drug to affect more lives.

The Crystal Darkness campaign has partners around the state, including the Office of the State Attorney General, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, the Oklahoma Department of Education, the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and a host of others that have come together to make this campaign possible.

Meth destroys lives and families, and it is a real threat to the health of our state. Working together in communities across Oklahoma, we can take action and save our children and neighbors from the devastating effects of methamphetamine.

For more information about the campaign and how you can get involved, visit www.crystaldarknessoklahoma.org.



GOV. BRAD HENRY may be reached via his Web site at www.governor.ok.gov.

        

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