Oregon TV Stations Band Together Tonight to Fight Meth

"Crystal Darkness: Meth's Deadly Assault on Our Children" airs tonight on stations throughout Oregon, from 7:30 to 8:00 PM.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Marion County Sheriff Russ Isham and other Oregon law officials are urging local residents to fight back against methamphetamine by tuning into an unprecedented statewide television broadcast.

"Crystal Darkness: Meth's Deadly Assault on Our Children" airs on tonight, from 7:30 PM to 8:00 PM.

Oregon TV stations are banding together for the event and television stations throughout the state will simultaneously air the 30-minute documentary that highlights the devastation meth has on youth and families. It also reaches out to people struggling with addiction.

"The Methamphetamine problem affects us all in some way. Whether we are victims of criminal activity related to meth or have a family member that is addicted, we all need to do our part in being aware of the indicators and consequences of such a growing problem."

Meth in its current form first appeared in Oregon during the early 80s. Since then, meth addiction has grown and is considered an epidemic.

It is estimated that meth is a factor in more than 80% of property crimes. During a recent voluntary survey of 506 inmates at the Marion County Jail, 365 of those said they had used meth, many of those have children living in their household.

"The good news is that this is something we can all play a part in making our community safer," Isham said.

"By making a commitment to reporting suspected drug activity in our neighborhoods and talking to our children about the dangers of meth, we can take steps to making Marion County an even better place to live. This television broadcast is a great way to continue our commitment as a community in our fight against meth."

The "Crystal Darkness Campaign" is a unique collaboration among local media, government, schools, law enforcement, recovery programs, churches and the business community. More information is available at crystaldarkness.com

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James October 10, 2007 7:40 am (Pacific time)

You guys are right, it's too hard to stop, let's just give up and let the tweekers run the world! And Neal, when was the last time you ever saw the goverment regulate something and have it come out cheeper!

Neal Feldman October 9, 2007 9:00 pm (Pacific time)

Lori - There is that. In HS I did a lot of drinking. When I turned 18 (was the age then) I pretty much stopped. So there is a lot to what you say. I drink socially now but if I have 10 drinks a year it is a lot. lol. Ah well...

Lori B. October 9, 2007 5:20 pm (Pacific time)

Heh...Neal...you can run around the bush with all that rhetoric, but I can pretty much put it in a nutshell: It's an age-old story about the forbidden fruit: if it's "forbidden" or someone says "NO" there's a very strong chance of that happening because it's human nature to be selfish and wanting to try and explore anything that's "hands off". What if it was OK? Then the allure and magic of that "forbidden fruit" is taken away and people will not wonder why it's such a big fuss about it.

Neal Feldman October 9, 2007 4:05 pm (Pacific time)

Concerned - I understand where you are coming from but the point remains addicts, by definition, will destroy their lives and the lives of those around them pursuing their addiction. And addiction this destructive is not limited to drugs (or even alcohol and tobacco, other (legal) drugs). There are simply addictive personality types. There are those who have ruined their lives through addiction to shopping, to QVC, to online games, to beanie babies, baseball cards, gambling or any number of other things. Should we ban something just because someone addicted themselves to it? As to the associated crime aspect if it was legal it would be far less expensive and so crime would not necessarily be as needed to support it. Also it being criminal already makes the person feel like "OK using this is already a felony so what's the harm in committing a few little misdemeanors to continue my habit?". See my point? And how many people have turned to ID theft, embezzlement, etc to finance one addiction or another as listed above. Plus do you really think there is adequate treatment options available for meth addicts? I don't. Because so much effort and funding is wasted pursuing a failed policy of Prohibition instead of just regulating and taxing the product and using those proceeds to fund education and treatment like is done regarding tobacco and alcohol. And while Prohibition did nothing to reduce in a real way alcohol use (it just made criminals of more folks) education and treatment HAS reduced tobacco and alcohol use. Not eliminated, but reduced. Far more than Prohibition as a policy has ever reduced anything. Ah well...

Concerned citizen October 9, 2007 3:05 pm (Pacific time)

Neal: Point well taken. I respect your opinion and won't completely disagree since it hasn't been tried. I am for trying ANYTHING to rid the world, or at least our great state of it. I've just endured so much personal horror and heartbreak(not myself but close family members)due to the effects of meth addiction that I can't imagine it would be better if it was legal. This drug truly takes over your life and unimagineably, (for me anyway) absolutely nothing else matters to the addict but getting it. I participated in a family member's treatment and the stories I could tell from those groups are really horrible. Point being, most of them don't go for help unless they get caught and are forced to. I know that isn't ideal and many times doesn't do any good. However, some, and any is better than none, see what they've done to their lives once they are forced to sober up. Also, a good portion of other crimes, such as identity theft, burglary,shoplifting etc are tied to drug addiction. They will do anything and sacrifice anything to get it.

Neal Feldman October 9, 2007 1:40 pm (Pacific time)

Concerned - I am fully aware of what meth can do. Also what other things can do that are both illegal and legal. My point is that if drugs (ALL drugs) were legalized and regulated as tobacco and alcohol are, with adequate education and treatment options and taking the criminal element out of it (as well as taking the money from it out of the criminal element) the likes of meth would not be used anywhere near as much. The bottom line is that there is no way to protect people from themselves. You can provide options and enforce consequences but that is about it. Bathtub gin, to use my example, was dangerous but users did not care because it was cheap and available where better alcohol was neither. As soon as better alcohol was available the 'market' for bathtub gin evaporated. But I can point to alcohol addicts or tobacco addicts or heroin addicts and show folks who have flushed their lives as much as any meth addict has. Surprisingly I have never seen a pot user I could say that about. Go figure. I advocate legalizing meth (along with all other drugs and prohibition 'crimes') not because I think they are great or recommend their use, but instead because the policy of Prohibition has been, and continues to be, a complete abysmal failure in every context it has ever been applied. All the 'war on some drugs' and 'war on meth' crap and has its use been eliminated? I wonder if it has even been REDUCED. So with that as backdrop how can you support the current and past failed policies? Insanity was defined by Einstein as doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. Ah well...

Concerned citizen October 9, 2007 11:35 am (Pacific time)

Lori:try channels 2,6,8,12,32 or 49, I think they are all carring it. Neal: I don't know if you've had any "up close" exposure to what meth can do to lives but I'm guessing not. If you had I doubt you'd be advocating to legalize it. Please watch tonight!

Neal Feldman October 9, 2007 10:07 am (Pacific time)

Meth is our time's bathtub gin. Cheap, easy to make and dangerous. If drugs in general were all legal there would be no need for meth just like there is no need today for bathtub gin. When will folks ever realize that Prohibition is a failed policy in every context tried and only causes more harm and funds crime gangs. Ah well...

Pat October 5, 2007 10:03 am (Pacific time)

Lori, the article clearly states that "Oregon TV stations are banding together to air the 30-minute documentary", and that ALL Portland TV stations are participating. If you still aren't sure, you could turn on your TV at 7:25pm on October 9 to check which stations are carrying the program. I'm sure they'll have plenty of ads.

Lori B. October 4, 2007 2:20 pm (Pacific time)

Why is there NO mention of what station(s) to tune into this program?? ABC? CBS? NBC? PBS?

Concerned citizen October 4, 2007 10:25 am (Pacific time)

I encourage everyone to watch and get involved in the fight against meth.You don't know what you can do until you ask. This drug causes such destruction and no one is immune. It can happen to anyone including you or your family members. It is such an epidemic it will take all of us who aren't "under it's spell" to rid our communities of meth once and for all!

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Oregon TV Stations Band Together Tonight to Fight Meth

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