Photo courtesy of Hawaii Meth Project.
By Staff Reports
(Honolulu)– To increase awareness of the dangers of methamphetamine, also known as “ice,” the Hawaii Meth Project is partnering with Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA) for the fourth year in a row to present a special award for Meth addiction prevention videos as part of HMSA’s 2013 Teen Video Awards Contest. The Hawaii Meth Project will award a GoPro camera to each member of the winning team whose addiction prevention video most effectively communicates the risks of using Meth.
HMSA’s annual competition challenges Hawaii’s middle and high school students to create videos focusing on important health issues including the following categories: addiction prevention, healthy living, mental health, and teen safety. Through their partnership, HMSA and the Hawaii Meth Project are encouraging students to create videos that will raise awareness and deliver a message to discourage teen Meth use.
Winners will be selected based on content, effectiveness, creativity, and videography. Deadline for submissions is March 4, 2013. Finalists will be notified in early April and winners will be announced at a gala awards ceremony on May 8, 2013 at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu. Winners in each category will receive funds from HMSA for their school to purchase video equipment or software, with first place receiving $1,000, second place $500, and third place $250. The Best of Show will receive an additional $1,000, with a $500 prize for the best middle school submission. Winning videos will be broadcast on local television stations. The public can also vote for their favorite video at hmsa.com from 8 a.m. on April 1 through 4 p.m. on April 12. The video with the most votes will win a Voters’ Choice award worth $500. For additional contest information and entry materials, visit HMSA’s website at hmsa.com.
This year’s winning team whose addiction prevention video most effectively communicates the risks of using Meth will have their video featured on the Meth Project’s website, MethProject.org, joining previous winners in the special Meth addiction prevention category including “I Will Take Your Life Away” (Kapaa High School students), which depicts a teen girl and everything Meth took away from her; “Meth Kills Dreams” (Hawaii Baptist Academy students), in which a teen boy lists the potential milestones of his life, such as graduation, college, and his wedding, only to see them replaced by the word “Meth”; and “Crystal Mirror” (Waianae High School students), an animated video that depicts a teen reflecting on the destructive path her life took on Meth.
MethProject.org is a comprehensive, online resource that answers the questions teens most frequently ask about the physical, mental, and social effects of Meth use. Each question is answered with a range of content—more than 350 in all—from interactive facts, videos, animations, image galleries, polls, and quizzes, to personal stories from users, their friends and family, and first-hand accounts from experts. The site’s “Speak Up” section—where the HMSA winners will be featured—is a platform that enables teens to connect with one another and share their own stories about Meth through artwork, videos, animation, narratives, and photos.
HMSA began the HMSA Teen Video Awards Contest in 2004 to raise awareness of health issues affecting Hawaii’s youth. The program involves teens in a way that is fun, creative, and thought-provoking. It inspires youth dialogue and supports nontraditional learners.