United States Drug Enforcement Administration

TAMPA, FL. - The Drug Enforcement (DEA) national touring exhibit, Target America: Opening Eyes to the Damage Drugs Cause, opens at the Museum of Science & (MOSI) in Tampa on September 16, 2011. Visitors will have the opportunity to view rubble from the September 11, 2001 attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center, a drug related car wreck from Ohio, and several re-creations including a methamphetamine hotel cook room, jungle cocaine lab, and an Afghan heroin “factory”.

These artifacts are part of a traveling exhibit which shows the link between United (U.S.) drug sales and the funding of terrorism. Starting with the horrific events of September 11, 2001, and moving back in time to Asia’s ancient Silk Road, Target America will present the visitor with a global and historical overview of the deadly connection between drugs and terror and the damage drugs cause every day, as well as a newly designed section describing the response to drug trafficking trends in Florida.

According to the DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Mark R. Trouville, “Florida has been on the forefront of many national drug trafficking trends from the cocaine cowboys of the 70’s and 80’s to the pill mills of today. This exhibit not only explores international and national drug trafficking trends, but ties in Florida’s historical role as a “gateway” and the resulting costs and consequences.”

“We are pleased to bring Target America: Opening Eyes to the Damage Drugs Cause to the Museum of Science & Industry in Tampa. We believe this exhibition will open the Tampa Bay community’s eyes to the real story of the damage that drugs cause. The Target America exhibition is a great example of how cultural institutions like our own can address serious social issues, build healthier communities and educate the public,” said Wit Ostrenko, President of MOSI.

The exhibit, which has inspired more than 20 million visitors, premiered September 11, 2002, at the DEA Museum in Arlington, Virginia and traveled to Dallas, Texas; Ashland, Nebraska; New York, New York; Detroit, Michigan; Chicago, Illinois; Los Angeles, California; and New Orleans, Louisiana. The 10,000 square-foot touring exhibit will be at Tampa’s Museum of Science & Industry before traveling to other cities, including Atlanta, Georgia, and Boston, Massachusetts.

The Museum of Science & Industry, at 4801 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa, is open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Target America is included in MOSI admission.

Target America: Opening Eyes to the Damage Drugs Cause was developed in partnership with The DEA Educational Foundation, The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, The U.S. National Guard, The National Institute on Drug Abuse, The Office of National Drug Control Policy and The Partnership for a Drug Free America.

About (Museum of Science & Industry) -
MOSI is a not-for-profit, community-based institution and educational resource dedicated to advancing public interest, knowledge, and understanding of science, industry, and technology. With a total size of over 400,000 square feet, MOSI is the largest science center in the southeastern United States, and home to the only IMAX ® Dome Theatre in the state of Florida. Kids In Charge! The Children’s Science Center at MOSI is the largest children’s science center in the nation. Disasterville, featuring WeatherQuest, combines education and 10,000 square feet of interactive exhibits on the science behind natural disasters. MOSI’s newest permanent exhibition, The Amazing You, explores the fascinating world of birth through end of life. MOSI is the proud winner of the 2009 National Medal for Museums by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the nation’s highest honor for museums. For more information on MOSI, visit www.mosi.org.