ArcGIS 8.1 Makes Prime-Time Debut on CBS's The District

ArcGIS 8.1 Makes Prime-Time Debut on CBS's The District

Redlands, California, April 23, ArcGIS 8.1 has made its prime-time television debut Saturday, April 21 on The District, CBS's Saturday night hit crime drama starring Craig T. Nelson.

The episode of The District is entitled "The Agony and the Ecstasy" and is inspired by the recent growth of MDMA (ecstasy) abuse among today's youth. According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, "MDMA and club drugs may pose a greater immediate threat to adolescents and young adults than any other illegal drugs." Using ArcGIS, The District dramatizes this new and growing problem and serves to educate millions of Americans about the risks it poses to our society. Throughout the episode, ArcGIS-generated maps appear including maps depicting ecstasy use among 12th grade students, U.S. Customs seizures of MDMA in the top 20 U.S. cities, and known urban areas that have MDMA readily available. The District also depicts a GIS model that illustrates how ecstasy abuse is likely to spread across the United States in the next few years. According to John Calkins, ESRI's GIS consultant to The District, "This episode has given us the ability to use ArcGIS 8.1 to research, model, and present to the American public critical information on ecstasy."

"We're excited about the debut of ArcGIS on The District and the use of GIS throughout each episode of the show," says Jack Dangermond, president, ESRI. "What's significant about GIS on The District is that it not only gives audiences a glimpse into maps and crime analysis very much like those used in real life, but it also allows audiences to experience geographic thinking. GIS touches millions of lives every day, though many may not even know it. The District depicts how GIS is used for societal issues, and the show does a remarkable job of both entertaining and educating a large television audience."

Visit: www.esri.com/news/thedistrict/facts_figures/agony_and_ecstasy.html

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