BBBS, Partnership for a Drug-Free America to launch a public awareness campaign to reduce methamphetamine use throughout Maui County.The election season is beginning to heat up, the economy is under fire and gas prices dominate the headlines. With so much on our minds, it often becomes easy to forget the important issues that existed before the recent political and economic melee. But there are some island residents who haven’t forgotten—and they are working day and night to resolve these issues. On Tuesday, Aug. 5, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui announced it has teamed up with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America to launch “Meth360,” a public awareness campaign that aims to reduce methamphetamine use throughout Maui County. Endorsed by the Office of the Mayor, Maui Economic Opportunity (MEO) Inc.’s Being Empowered and Safe Together Reintegration Program (BEST) and The Institute for Family Enrichment (TIFFE), it is the first partnership of its kind in the State of Hawai‘i. The campaign, which is currently underway, will use the power of advertising—by sending anti-drug messages to Maui youth through professionally-produced media advertisements.
At the Maui Beach Hotel in Kahului on Tuesday morning, a campaign launch party featured presentations by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui Executive Director Melissa Ross, Partnership for a Drug-Free America Hawai‘i Regional Manager Cathy Dunn, Mayor Charmaine Tavares and a series of guest speakers from MEO’s BEST program, including former inmates, addicts and family members who had been impacted by substance abuse. Co-sponsored by Dowling Company, KPOA 93.5 FM, Maui United Way, Savers, The Maui News and Solutions Virtual Assistance Corp., the event provided attendees with the tools and information necessary to educate youth about the adverse impacts of drug use.
Ross explained that youth are often hesitant to discuss the issue of drug use with adults; therefore, the campaign aims to open up the lines of communication, encouraging kids to “talk story” and ask questions. In addition, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui hopes to deflect negative media messages that perpetuate the drug use of celebrities and professional athletes.
“The benefits that we receive from the partnership will allow us to counter those negative messages with positive prevention strategies,” said Ross. Media outlets across the island will be encouraged to participate in the Meth360 program, and will be provided with media materials to spread anti-drug awareness throughout the community.
The Meth360 program of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America is designed to be co-delivered by teams of law enforcement and substance abuse treatment professionals to groups of community members, providing audience members with a “360-degree” view of the methamphetamine issue. The Partnership will provide Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui with drug-education media materials, including public service announcements, some of which were screened at Tuesday’s event.
According to Dunn, nearly 11 percent of Hawai‘i’s youth use drugs on a regular basis. She said the partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui is a step in the right direction and by providing the organization with anti-drug resources, she hopes to reduce drug use in Maui County—and throughout the state.
MEO’s BEST program offers community members a unique opportunity to learn about the dangers of substance abuse from those who have experienced it firsthand. Designed to provide transitional services and training to prepare local inmates for reintegration with the community, the program offers case management, employment training, housing assistance, cultural renewal, family reunification and mentoring. MEO’s BEST clients have volunteered to participate in community outreach programs by speaking at events and sharing their stories.
In addition, TIFFE will co-sponsor a series of “Nurturing Classes,” or training sessions for island families facilitated by a group of professionals. These courses cover a wide range of topics, including nonviolent communication, team-building exercises and patterns of substance abuse in families.
TIFFE Nurturing Classes will be available beginning in September and Meth360 training sessions will be offered from Tuesday, Aug. 19 to Thursday, Aug. 21, from 4 to 8 p.m at Maui Waena Intermediate School in Kahului. The cost to attend each session is $20 per person, or $50 for all three training sessions if payment is received by Friday, Aug. 15. For more information or to register, contact Jazmin Tinsley at 242-9754, ext. 204, or email jazmin@bbbsmaui.org.