SIERRA VISTA — Meth addiction has taken its toll on millions of Americans. It destroys whole families and cuts across lives at every level, regardless of race, socioeconomic status, sex or age.

“Meth addiction has become a huge, huge concern throughout our state, and Cochise County is no exception,” said Susan Richards, who is the community development administrative manager for SouthEastern Arizona Behavioral Health Services, New Turf Prevention. “The bottom line is, meth has become an epidemic.”

But now methamphetamine’s toxic stranglehold on Arizona is being challenged.

A television documentary called “Crystal Darkness” will be airing on more than 40 television and radio stations across the state on April 15 from 6:30 to 7 p.m. The thirty-minute, commercial-free programming will run simultaneously on nearly every major television station in Phoenix, with KVOA and two Spanish language stations out of Tucson also airing the program.

“We’ve been running an advertising campaign in 10 of Arizona’s 15 counties for about a year now,” said Amy Rex, director of Arizona Meth Project.

Rex, who has seen a version of the documentary, said, “It not only draws attention to this terrible problem, but helps raise awareness about the negative impacts of meth on society overall.”

While the program targets youth and their families, its message extends to everyone involved with victims of meth addiction.

Cochise County Substance Abuse Coalition, an all volunteer group that educates communities about different forms of substance abuse, has made meth its primary focus.

“The coalition looks at data gathering, and we’ve put together an individual and family survey to give us an idea of the scope of meth use in the county,” said Karla Jensen, who serves as the coalition’s fiscal agent contact for the county. The next step is to design and distribute a similar survey for the county’s jails.

Funding for the effort comes through an intergovernmental agreement between the Governor’s Office for Children, Youth and Families Division for Substance Abuse Policy and Cochise County. The county serves as a fiscal agent, with SEABHS as the primary coordinator of the services. SEABHS organizes educational projects, holds conferences and conducts programs on meth related issues.

“When we set up a contract with the state, we provide specific services based on state guidelines,” Jensen explained. The county’s focus is twofold: organizing a general awareness campaign aimed at educating the public about meth use and supporting grassroots community groups.

“Our goal is to help these fledgling groups get funding,” Jensen explained. “There isn’t much support for the family and friends of meth users, so this is an effort to help them get the resources they need to start support groups and research the county’s substance abuse problem.”

Meetings are held the second Wednesday of every month at 2 p.m. at Cafe Roka in Bisbee. Designed for anyone who would like more information about Cochise County’s substance abuse problem, the meetings attract a range of people, from family members, to counselors and social workers.

“Meth is our primary focus, but we do try to look at all forms of substance abuse,” Jensen said.

In addition to local efforts, county health officials and SEABHS are urging the public to watch Crystal Darkness, with its powerful testimonies of young people who have gone through meth addiction.

The airing of Crystal Darkness in Arizona has been a collaborative effort among police departments, Arizona State University, behavioral health organizations, media, faith organizations, the business community and many others. The organizations are working together to help meth victims and create awareness with the hope of preventing further drug use.