South Dakota Mocked On Social Media After Choosing Embarrassing Name For New Anti-Meth Program

INQUISITR.COM / News
By Aaron Homer
Published on: 2019-11-19T13:34:40
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South Dakota is getting mercilessly dragged on Twitter after the state announced a head-scratching name for its new anti-meth program: “Meth: We Are On It.” However, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem is refusing to consider a name change, The Hill reports.

On Monday, the South Dakota Department of Social Services rolled out its new program to raise awareness of the problem of methamphetamine use in the state, as well as to call attention to law-enforcement efforts to combat it, complete with a website, onmeth.com, and the tagline “Meth: We Are On It.”

Unfortunately, it seems that the people who came up with the name of the program failed to realize that the phrase “on meth” can mean different things, depending on context. It seems as if the state is trying to project the idea of being “on top of” the problem of meth. However, in the way the program is being presented, it looks like they’re saying that they’re collectively “on meth” — which is to say, using it.

Billboards will be popping up along South Dakota highways showing regular people along with the program’s tagline. The people in the billboards aren’t actually meth users, reports Sioux Falls’ KELO-TV.

On Twitter, jokesters are having a field day with the unfortunate name of the campaign.

Twitter user @YmirTama spared no ire for the state’s governor for her role in the campaign.

“Thank you for using half a million dollars to make the sh*ttiest ad campaign known to man, when that money could have gone to rehab clinics and facilities that would have actually helped. You are a corrupt embarrassment wrapped in idiocy,” @YmirTama wrote.

Other users are finding that the jokes write themselves.

https://twitter.com/Dragoncaller3/status/1196803883491684352

South Dakota Governor Noem, however, has said that she doesn’t find any of this funny. Further, in a tweet she suggested that all of this snark and japery has served the exact purpose that the campaign intended: getting people talking about South Dakota’s meth problem.

“Now that I’ve got attention. Meth is a SERIOUS problem in SD. One that affects your son, daughter, husband, wife, parents, and grandparents… if affects YOU. Make this a conversation at your dinner table. Get on it and get it OUT!,” she wrote.

This is not the first time South Dakota officials have given an unfortunate name to a public awareness campaign. Back in 2014, as New York Magazine reported at the time, South Dakota encouraged drivers to be courteous with a campaign entitled “Don’t Jerk And Drive.” But after being taken the wrong way, officials yanked the program.