WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2008
TV Stations Band Together to Air Meth Documentary
A remarkable thing is about to happen in Sacramento, Calif., just as it did in Las Vegas, Reno, Nev., Oregon and San Diego. It will happen again soon in Arizona, Juarez, N.M., and other areas. Practically all the TV stations in those communities will set aside a half hour to air a commercial free documentary about meth.
The Sacramento (Calif.) Bee says:
Sacramento will be the fifth television market to air "Crystal Darkness," a public-service documentary dealing with the use and abuse of methamphetamine, and how it affects families, taxes law enforcement and impacts the entire community.
Originally produced for Reno TV stations in January 2007, "Crystal Darkness" used interviews with addicts from all walks of life, graphic images of the damage done and sobering violent-crime statistics. It also provided a toll-free number for people to get help.
The program that ran on all Reno stations proved so popular, says producer Mike Reynolds, a Reno advertising executive, that other communities sought localized versions of the documentary.
In May in Las Vegas, 50 percent of the households tuned in to the documentary, according Nielsen ratings. In August, 25 stations in five Oregon cities broadcast the documentary, and newspaper reports say the toll-free number was flooded with calls. And in December, San Diego stations blanketed the airwaves.
Here is the "blueprint" that TV stations are using to publicize the event. The communities man hotlines to answer
viewer calls, which often pour in. Schools have adopted teaching guides to coincide with the documentary.
Parts of the documentary are on YouTube.
KVBC-TV in Las Vegas reported the day after the documentary aired that treatment centers had actually taken in some patients as a result of the program:
At places like Solutions Recovery, which so far has received six referrals from 211, everyone admits it will take more than one night and one documentary to battle crystal meth. But all agree that Crystal Darkness opened doors.
Of the 65 calls from actual users, three people followed through and checked in for detox as of Thursday afternoon. To help bring the community together to watch Crystal Darkness, thirteen churches hosted viewing sites Wednesday night. 3,500 people showed up and afterwards 2,700 parents stayed back to receive training in the dangers of meth.
Posted at 12:04:00 AM
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