ACT Now Against METH!

The Act Now Against Meth Coalition grew out of a grassroots movement to combat meth use in the gay community. Founded by The Wall-Las Memorias Project with the strong support of the Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team, the coalition included local businesses, community leaders, faith-based organizations, educators, public health departments, and law enforcement.

After 12 months of community mobilizing, the coalition was victorious in getting the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors to respond to the methamphetamine abuse epidemic.

Coalition leaders presented the Act Now Against Meth (ANAM) petition signed by 10,000 concerned community members who recognized the urgent meth epidemic in these highest impacted communities. The petition demanded that the Board declare a public health emergency.

As a result of ANAM’s community organizing, the members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors—led by board members Zev Yaroslavsky and Yvonne B. Burke—allocated over $1.3 million to programs addressing crystal meth use in the Los Angeles County. The coalition continues to organize and mobilize the community and has now expanded its effort to include other substances abuse issues of Greater Los Angeles.

Coalition members include Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team, Being Alive, BiLatinMen.com, Casa de las Amigas, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Choices, El Centro del Pueblo, El Proyecto del Barrio, Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council, Metropolitan Community Church Los Angeles, Midtowne Spa, About Time Productions, The Wall-Las Memorias Project, The Tweakers Project, and Van Ness Recovery House.

The Greater East Los Angeles (GELA) task force also plays a valuable part in the organization’s movement against the troubling meth abuse statistics in Los Angeles. The mission of GELA is to proactively engage in community mobilization to prevent crystal meth use, by educating and supporting youth and their families in the greater East Los Angeles area.