Bay Area Reporter - February 1, 2007
Matthew S. Bajko, m.bajko@ebar.com

The advertising executives and health officials behind the campaigns counter not everyone complains about the messages and that they test the ads with focus groups before they are launched.

Now the health department and Better World Advertising, the local firm behind many of the more controversial campaigns, are taking a new approach. They want the public's input for a new meth campaign set to be unveiled this June in time for Pride month.

A billboard went up above Cafe Flore in the Castro today (Thursday, February 1) and newspaper advertisements will run all month. The ads are pretty much blank except for text in red ink that reads "(your ideas here)" over a white background. In yellow text the ads ask, "What should we do about METH [sic] in our community?"

The public is then asked to send its "advice, experiences and opinions" to the Web site http://www.sfmeth.org. [The new Web site went live February 1.]

The health department has budgeted $185,000 for the meth campaign, but will not know the total cost for it until the final concept is selected. The billboard alone is costing about $15,000 for the month.

Both Tracey Packer, the department's interim HIV prevention director, and Les Pappas, owner of the ad agency, insisted the approach is not a response to the criticism in recent months of the previous campaigns.

"We definitely, if there are people out there that have ideas and opinions about this, we want to give them an opportunity or method to participate. I know there are some people who probably feel like there isn't enough participation in the development of these kinds of things," said Pappas. "We have a lot of people involved in these projects but nobody really knows about it. This will make it very clear we are interested in people's opinions."

Packer said she wanted to ask for the public's ideas "because the issue of meth in a campaign is not simple and straightforward."

"We would like to see what community members have to say. What should be said about meth use?" asked Packer. "We really hope community members respond to us and it will build a better campaign by getting community input."

Waste of money?

Perhaps not surprisingly, before the billboard went up it has generated controversy. Supervisor Bevan Dufty called it a waste of money and makes the city, which established a task force on crystal meth almost two years ago, seem stupid and lacking a plan.

"I am dumbfounded," said Dufty after being shown the ads. "It begs the question if we have had a task force operating for two years why would we pay for a billboard that makes it seem we have no ideas or suggestions?"

Dufty said the money would have been better spent on paying for crystal meth anonymous meetings or treatment for individuals. Dufty, who will once again sit on the board's budget committee this year, said he planned to lodge a complaint with Packer about the expenditure. He said the decision also adds to his concerns as to why health department officials have yet to begin the search for a permanent HIV prevention director.

"In all due respect to social marketing, most people would agree with me that $15,000 could be better spent," said Dufty. "I think this is troubling and speaks to why people are asking me how come we haven't put someone as director of prevention at DPH over the past year."

[The former HIV prevention director, Steven Tierney, stepped down in December 2005. Since then Packer has served in the job on an interim basis. As of this week, the AIDS Office had yet to post a listing for the job.]

Both Packer and Pappas said they have met three to four times with members of a subcommittee of the crystal task force to discuss the plans for the new campaign and how to coordinate efforts among various agencies working on meth issues. Pappas said the billboard is one of the most visible spots in the city to attract the attention of gay men.

"Just by putting it out there and asking people what they think will get people thinking about the issue and what they would do about it," said Pappas. "Even if they don't respond to us in writing they still will be thinking about it, so I think that is good."

With the ad space available this month, Packer said, "We thought, let's take advantage to having access to that billboard."

How many responses the billboard and ads will generate is unknown, and there is no guarantee that any of the suggestions submitted will be used in the campaign. And if someone's idea is picked, there is no plan to offer that person a stipend or monetary award.

"The incentive is to help your community. We obviously are not asking for artwork or designs," said Pappas. "Really, the thinking here is about ideas and opinions. We are not expecting somebody to design or create a campaign; we are just expecting them to share their thoughts."

While health officials across the country have voiced concerns that gay men's use of meth is contributing to the continued transmission of HIV, the drug's impact on the AIDS epidemic is not so simple. Statistics in San Francisco indicate usage of the drug by gay men has declined in recent years, and instead of a rise in HIV rates, the city has shown a slight decrease in the number of people who are positive.

"Meth use is very complicated. There are people who can use meth and live productive lives," said Packer, who added when asked if people using the drug can still practice safe sex that, "I think so. We have reports of that."

But Packer added there are other people who are "using meth and feel like they are managing it and then there is some point where it flips off. People are already in difficult positions having difficulty managing their lives, safe sex would be a part of that."

Packer said once the public's comments about meth use have been collected, she and Pappas will work with members of the Mayor's Task Force on Crystal Meth to determine what messages will appear in the ads this summer. No matter what shape the campaign takes, Packer said the goal will be "to reduce HIV risk behavior during meth use."

"We are not focusing on individuals and what individuals are doing but what can communities do around meth use," she added. "I think campaigns are most effective when they initiate a community response."

Third campaign in a month

The new meth campaign is the third to launch in the last month. The first, overseen by the Stonewall Project and its http://www.Tweaker.org site, hit in early January and features gay porn stars promoting having "hot sex without crystal." The city will also spend $11,000 this year to translate the Web site into Spanish.

In mid-January, the state Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs, in collaboration with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, began a multi-pronged public awareness campaign to reduce meth use among teens, young women, and gay and bi men.

The state's campaign consists of television ads, speaking engagements, and targeted outreach. The ads direct people to the state department's Web site at http://www.adp.ca.gov or 1-866-STP-METH for more information and assistance. It kicked off in Sacramento and will move south, first to San Francisco then to Fresno, Los Angeles, and finally, San Diego.

"This partnership is one in a series of measures ADP is introducing this year to combat methamphetamine addiction," said Kathryn Jett, ADP director, in a statement announcing the campaign.

The new campaigns are piggybacking off of earlier efforts such as the health department's "Crystal Mess" ads and the Stop AIDS Project's crystal education campaign in 2005. Pappas said while he thinks meth usage has dropped still more needs to be done to educate gay men about the dangers the drug poses.

"I think it's definitely involved in a lot of HIV transmission. It's wrecked a lot of havoc in people's lives," said Pappas, adding "I think things have started to turn around. I think it is really great all these campaigns are happening."

The successes, he argued, do not merit silence.

"When you have a trend going in the right direction, I think you want to continue to support that," said Pappas. "I think it is kind of unfortunate that some people think there are too many campaigns, or if there is improvement, that is a reason to stop prevention."

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