The Partnership has launched a new addition to its award-winning community outreach program, Meth360®, to help curb use of the highly addictive illicit drug methamphetamine in the Hispanic community.

A través del Cristal Meth (Through Crystal Meth) brings together law enforcement officers, substance abuse prevention and treatment professionals to co-deliver meth awareness presentations to parents and concerned citizens. The presentation educates Spanish-speaking parents about the devastating effects of meth, emphasizing the need to communicate with teens about the dangers.

Methamphetamine abuse is a growing concern in the Hispanic community. Research shows that almost half of Hispanic teens don’t see great risk in trying methamphetamine once or twice, and 1 in 3 Hispanic teens report having friends who have used meth.

A través del Cristal Meth is designed to help the Hispanic community take action against this threat. The program has been specifically tailored to reflect the needs of the Spanish-speaking community in the U.S., providing tools and resources to help parents protect their children and loved ones from this dangerous drug.

The program also combines personal stories of Hispanic teens and adults in recovery from meth addiction with testimonials from their parents, highlighting the real-life, devastating impact of meth on families and lives.

For more information about A través del Cristal Meth or to download free presentation materials, visit www.drugfree.org/meth360, sign up and click on Resources and Downloads.

As the Partnership for a Drug-Free America continues to help parents whose children have developed a problem with drugs or alcohol, we take every opportunity to support those who have made it through the darkest days; those who have been treated for the disease of addiction and are currently living a life in recovery. As people in recovery seek community, connection and support, the Partnership welcomes them to a new web destination at www.drugfree.org/lifeafter.

As part of the Partnership’s commitment to recovery, on Saturday, September 27th, Partnership staff, friends and family participated in A&E Network’s Recovery Rally which united thousands of people in a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge followed by a rally in City Hall Park in downtown New York City. The Partnership believes that recovery is an attainable goal, and should be celebrated and supported. Marching alongside so many people who are living proof that treatment works was inspiring, and renewed the Partneship’s commitment to ensure that families have access to treatment and other help for loved ones in trouble.

With the new Life After site, the Partnership strives to support the recovery community further by providing a place for those in recovery to share their stories, connect with others who have had similar experiences and find encouragement from friends and family. Even if you are not struggling with recovery yourself, please visit Life After to express your support or to be inspired by these amazing stories of success and hope.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America has launched Meth360, a  multidisciplinary community outreach program designed to enhance community efforts to deal with the impact of methamphetamine, and mobilize parents and concerned citizens to take action to prevent meth use.

Created in 2006 with funding from the United States Department of Justice, Meth360 pairs teams of law enforcement officers with substance abuse prevention and treatment professionals to co-deliver meth awareness presentations at local business and civic organizations, schools and parent groups. By encouraging presenters to work in teams and bring their own experiences and anecdotes to the presentation, Meth360 offers audiences a “360-degree” perspective of the meth issue. For presenters, Meth360 helps build bridges between law enforcement and social services providers in their efforts to protect families and communities from substance abuse.

Meth360 was pilot-tested in four regions, with support from four lead law enforcement agencies. The Partnership recruited and trained presenters in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Albany, New York; Pierce and King Counties, Washington and Fairfax and Prince William Counties in Northern Virginia. During the nine-month pilot, 170 volunteer presenters from all three disciplines delivered 200 presentations, reaching 7,100 community members.

“Communities must be involved if we are to win the fight against drugs,” said Sergeant James Cox of the Fairfax County Police Department, one of the first agencies participating in Meth360. “Meth360 has aided our Department in forming partnerships with the communities we serve-and with our own government- by delivering the extremely powerful message that accompanies this campaign. These partnerships will be long-lasting and treasured, and if other jurisdictions have the same success we have had with Meth360, I truly believe methamphetamine can be a drug of the past.”

Audience evaluations in the pilot areas indicate that 93 percent of those who saw the presentation said Meth360 “taught them more” about methamphetamine and 86 percent reported they would “take action” to help protect their community.

Subsequent research, conducted by The Police Executive Research Forum, shows that 100 percent of presenters who responded to a survey would recommend Meth360 to communities interested in raising awareness about meth use, and 98 percent stated that the multidisciplinary approach enhanced the program’s credibility.

The Partnership has now expanded Meth360 into ten new states, and has recruited lead law enforcement agencies to help establish and expand the program in each state. Meth360 is now operating in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina and Texas. Program participants are using a new Web site, www.drugfree.org/meth360, to train themselves to deliver and coordinate presentations. This resource is available to all agencies, free of charge, and includes all materials needed to implement Meth360.

With additional funding from the Office of Justice of Programs and the COPS Office, the Partnership is expanding Meth360 into ten more states in 2008-Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maryland, New Mexico, West Virginia and Wisconsin-and is creating youth, parent and Spanish-language versions of the presentation.

To learn more about Meth360, please visit www.drugfree.org/meth360 or email meth360@drugfree.org.