Meth Warnings Drawn by Local Kids to be Put in Statewide Poster

This anti-meth artwork of three Valley kids will be incorporated into a widely distributed poster following a contest by the state Attorney General's Office: First Place: Alison Calabrese, Wigwam Creek Middle School, Litchfield Park (above)...

By Ray Stern

May 21, 2009

Audio By Carbonatix

[
          {
            "name": "GPT - Billboard - Slot Inline - Content - Labeled - No Desktop",
            "component": "21251496",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "STN Player - Float - Mobile Only ",
            "component": "21327862",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "Editor Picks",
            "component": "16759093",
            "insertPoint": "4",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "17980324",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - 2x Rectangles Desktop, Tower on Mobile - Labeled",
            "component": "21934225",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25          
          
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "17980324",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - Leaderboard to Tower - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
            "component": "17012245",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          }
        ]

This anti-meth artwork of three Valley kids will be incorporated into a widely distributed poster following a contest by the state Attorney General's Office:

First Place: Alison Calabrese, Wigwam Creek Middle School, Litchfield Park (above)

2nd Place: Caessar Saldana, Mohave Middle School, Scottsdale

3rd Place: Brandon Chheng, Royal Palm Middle School, Phoenix

As the first place winner, Calabrese will receive $500. The runners-up, as well as several others who received honorable mention awards, also received cash prizes.

It seems like a good idea to have local kids help make these ads -- certainly better than spending millions of dollars on them. It's just too hard to believe that the Arizona Meth Project ads(see below), featuring faked meth-use symptoms, really prevent teens from trying meth.

As we reported in February, state statistics show meth use among Arizona's youth had been declining for years before the ad campaign.

Ray Stern is the former news editor of Phoenix New Times. He worked as a newspaper reporter in Arizona for more than two decades. He's won numerous awards for his reporting, including the Arizona Press Club's Don Bolles Award for Investigative Journalism.

A message from News Editor Zach Buchanan: If you value independent journalism, please consider making a contribution to support our continued coverage of essential stories and to investigate issues that matter.

Support Today