Target America Frequently Asked Questions about the Exhibit
What is the exhibit?
Target America: Opening Eyes to the Damage Drugs Cause
What are the exhibit dates and location?
October 2, 2008 – May 3, 2009.
California Science Center, Exposition Park, Los Angeles.
Open 7 days a week, hours vary.
What is this exhibit about?
A historic and contemporary overview of the costs and consequences of illegal drugs and drug abuse on society.
What is in the exhibit?
Artifacts, photographs, videos and interactive kiosks that provide a learning environment to explore the global and local issues surrounding the costs and consequences of drugs on society. More than 500 images and over 150 objects help tell the stories that make up this exhibit. A section has been added with content specific to Southern California.
Why this exhibit?
The traveling exhibit began in 2002 as an opportunity to explore and educate the public about the connections between drug trafficking and terrorism in the months following September 11, 2001. Expanded in 2004, the exhibit provides a place for students, teachers and parents to explore physical displays on these issues and start conversations about what each person can do to address the drug problem. Americans need to know how drugs threaten families, communities, and society as a whole and what they can do to be part of the solution.
What are the messages of the exhibit?
- Drug abuse and addiction harms individuals, society and the environment in many ways.
- Science knowledge and innovation play important roles in understanding and breaking the cycle of drug abuse and addiction.
- Drug prevention, treatment and enforcement are all needed to stop drug abuse and addiction.
What are your goals for this exhibit?
- To educate exhibit visitors about the costs and consequences of drug trafficking and drug abuse on every American regardless of whether they are involved directly or not.
- To explore the drug law enforcement, drug abuse prevention education, and drug treatment efforts being conducted in Southern California and how those efforts are impacting the community.
- To give visitors a greater appreciation for the “big picture” on the drug issue and to give visitors opportunities to relate to the big picture on a personal level, be it the impact on their own bodies, their family, their community, or the greater world in which they live.
- That there is cutting-edge science being done in Southern California that is having a positive affect on the issue – giving us a better understanding of what drugs due to the systems of the body and what can be done to stop or even reverse that damage.
- That there is something that everyone can do to make a difference in this struggle – by getting involved in their families, their workplace and their communities. By saying no to drugs they lessen the costs of drugs on society.
- To excite science learning and career exploration for young visitors to the Science Center. That there are many future career opportunities in the treatment, prevention and law enforcement specialties that require a science background.
How much did it cost?
Target America was developed over a 3-year period between 2002 and 2004. The total DEA cost of the project is approximately $1 million. An additional $900,000 was required to bring the exhibit to Los Angeles and construct the “Southern California Story” section of the exhibit. These funds were raised in the private sector through donations to the DEA Educational Foundation.
Why Los Angeles?
DEA has been fortunate to have this exhibit in several other cities around the country, but none of them in the west. The opening of the exhibit at the California Science Center represents the West Coast premier for the exhibit. The California Science Center is one of the premier science centers in the country. The Center is ideally located in downtown Los Angeles to reach a broad geographically and ethnically diverse population across the greater Southern California region of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.
Who helped develop this exhibit?
Target America: Opening Eyes to the Damage Drugs Cause is the result of collaboration between a number of federal government agencies including: The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, The National Guard, The Office of National Drug Control Policy, The National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
What is the DEA Museum?
An institution founded by the Drug Enforcement Administration in 1999 whose mission is to educate the American public about the history of drugs, drug abuse and drug law enforcement in the United States.
What is the DEA Educational Foundation?
A 501(c)3 not-for-profit/non-profit foundation launched in 2001 to support the educational work of the DEA Museum through fundraising, advocacy and outreach. The all-volunteer Board of Directors is comprised of a mix of corporate executives, former government leaders, scientists, and philanthropists who are committed to helping America learn about the history of drug abuse and DEA.
Where else is it scheduled to go?
Future cities that will host this exhibit tentatively include: Philadelphia, Boston and Miami. Exact tour locations and dates are still being finalized.
Where else has the exhibit been?
September 11, 2002 - August 30, 2003:
DEA Museum, Arlington, VA
September 11, 2003 - March 23, 2004:
Science Place, Dallas, TX
April 10, 2004 - August 22, 2004:
Air and Space Museum, Omaha, NE
Sept. 10, 2004 - March 19, 2005:
One Times Square, New York, NY
April 2, 2005 - October 2, 2005:
New Detroit Science Center, Detroit, MI
August 11, 2006 - December 3, 2006:
Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, IL
December 15, 2006 – Present:
Navy Pier, Chicago, IL
Why a traveling exhibit?
Not all Americans come to visit Washington, D.C. and not all visitors to Washington are able to come to the DEA Museum. Traveling this exhibit around the country will allow more people to explore the exhibit and its many opportunities for learning.
What is the theme of the “Southern California Story” section of the exhibit?
The theme for this section of the exhibit is two-fold. First, a history of drug abuse and drug law enforcement in LA. Second, a look at the history and development of different technologies used by LA law enforcement.
How can I find out more?
By visiting: www.targetamerica.org
By visiting: www.californiasciencecenter.org
By calling the California Science Center: (323) SCI-ENCE.
By contacting the DEA Office of Public Affairs at (202) 307-7977.
