Crystal Campaign Hits Bars
DC's GLBT Center takes anti-crystal methamphetamine message to DC's gay nightclubs
The Center, D.C.’s GLBT community center, is furthering its campaign against crystal methamphetamine abuse within the local gay community by taking the fight to nightlife venues this weekend, Dec. 8 to 11. As a new component of The Center’s ”Let’s Talk About Meth” social-awareness promotion, ”Crystal Meth Sucks” involves getting this simple message to gay venues across the city, be it on staff T-shirts, or on posters and postcards.
”It was instantaneous. It was simplicity,” says Ed Bailey with a laugh, co-promoter of VelvetNation, the Saturday night dance event in Southeast D.C., and the person who thought of the new slogan. ”I was thinking, ‘How can I convey that crystal meth sucks?”’
Along with his own VelvetNation, other venues participating as of late Tuesday included Apex, Busboys and Poets, Green Lantern, Halo, JR.’s, Cobalt, Lizard Lounge and Titan/Dakota Cowgirl. Zachary Twigg, a member of The Center’s crystal meth working group’s social-marketing subcommittee, says he expects several other venues will be confirmed by the weekend.
”Obviously we are embarking on something that nightclubs and bars have had some trepidation about addressing,” adds Bailey. ”But the fact that we’ve worked diligently to get all the clubs involved makes everyone feel safer to talk about he issues…. Our basic underlying premise of the campaign is to try to get everyone who is not a user to realize it’s really not okay to sit on the sidelines and be apathetic, especially with a drug as destructive as crystal meth. It’s unfortunate that it took a drug this destructive to get me to the point where I would help get the message out. I’ve seen it harm too many people, and I want to do something.”
For more information on crystal methamphetamine, visit www.letstalkaboutmeth.org.
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