Fighting Juvenile Drug Abuse

When methamphetamine crept into Humboldt County, California, KEET got involved.

The station joined with two local radio stations and built partnerships with Humboldt County Mental Health, drug-education agencies, an alternative high school and RAVEN, a youth drop-in center.

KEET produced and broadcast Life After Meth, an hour-long documentary on the increasing threat of Meth in Northern California. The response was immediate. KEET heard from concerned family members, police departments wanting to use the documentary for training purposes, public health workers, teachers and concerned youth.

With mentors from a local theatre group and Humboldt's Youth Slam Poetry team, RAVEN's young actors wrote a script drawn from their own lives.

"One troupe-member's parents were Meth-users. She didn't condemn, but she told the truth," said RAVEN Director Anna Thieleman.

Then, they took their show on the road. In schools, community centers, and town halls, KEET opened the door with the documentary, followed by RAVEN actors performing.

Life After Meth brought people together in a way, most had never imagined. "The dialogue was so powerful. Everyone had a positive, healing experience," Thieleman said. "And KEET made this possible. All of it."