South Dakota Takes Ribbing Over New Meth Slogan

South Dakota’s new anti-meth campaign featuring people of different ages and races saying "I'm on meth" is prompting online guffaws. Gov. Kristi Noem on Monday launched the nearly half-million-dollar campaign to increase awareness of South Dakota's methamphetamine epidemic. The campaign includes a new TV ad, billboards, posters and a website, the AP reports. The campaign’s motto — "Meth. We're on it" — is superimposed over the state outline. TV ads, billboards and posters about South Dakota's growing epidemic feature people announcing that they're on meth. In a video message, per the New York Post, Noem elaborated on the meaning of the tagline: "Each one of us, no matter who we are, we’re on the case of meth."

A Minneapolis marketing agency created the campaign. South Dakota’s Department of Social Services paid the agency nearly $449,000 this fall, according to the state’s finances website. A tweet asked how many rehab centers in rural areas that could have paid for. One joke came from a neighbor. After asking if South Dakota is OK, a Star-Tribune columnist tweeted a suggested ad with the outline of Minnesota, an arrow pointing left, and the words: "Meth. They're on it." Noem answered the mockery with a "Hey, Twitter" tweet saying the point of the campaign is to raise awareness, "so I think that's working."

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