For Hub City Times

MADISON – Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) will join Attorney General Brad Schimel, the Northwoods Coalition, and the Alliance for Wisconsin Youth in their efforts to educate the public on the dangers of using meth by releasing KNOW METH campaign ads showing an “altered state” of Wisconsin.

“Methamphetamine is hitting many Wisconsin communities hard and it is seeping into our way of life,” said Attorney General Brad Schimel. “Law enforcement is working hard to go after the criminals harming our communities with this highly addictive drug but prevention campaigns like this are critical to making sure the problem doesn’t get worse.”

The campaign spots show beloved Wisconsin symbols being left in an “altered state,” similar to what happens to a meth user’s body and life when he or she becomes addicted. Attorney General Schimel utilized $225,000 from settlement funds in consultation with the Wisconsin State Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance (JFC).
“Fifty percent of meth users are adults 25-35 years of age, according to the 2016 Wisconsin Methamphetamine Study,” said Kayleigh Mengel, Health Educator – Team Leader, Marshfield Clinic Health System. “With the release of targeted advertisements, we ask that Wisconsin residents go to knowmethwi.org to learn more about the risks and dangers of meth use and take action. Together we can learn more to help prevent meth use and addiction.”

The campaign’s media effort began on July 16 with broadcast radio in the Eau Claire, La Crosse, and Wausau media markets that will run through December 2018. Paid video ads began airing online on July 23 in areas of Wisconsin most impacted by meth including: Eau Claire, La Crosse, Wausau, Rhinelander, Stevens Point, Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh, and many rural communities in northern Wisconsin. Broadcast television ads will also appear in the coming weeks in Eau Claire, Wausau and La Crosse.

The KNOW METH prevention and public awareness ads will run through Dec. 2018 and can be viewed online at www.knowmethwi.org/media.

To learn more about the KNOW METH public awareness campaign and to get facts about the impact of meth use in Wisconsin, visit www.knowmethwi.org.