Taking a Stand

There are numerous programs and support groups that have dedicated time and money to help spread awareness of the dangers of Crystal Meth and to help those who suffer from addiction. One of these organizations is called the Montana Meth Project.

The Montana Meth Project is a large-scale prevention program aimed at significantly reducing first-time meth use through public service messaging, public policy, and community outreach.

So why Montana?
In 2005 Montana ranked #5 in the nation for Meth abuse
50% of inmates were incarcerated for Meth
50% of foster-care admissions were Meth-related

Between 2005 and 2007 the Montana Meth Project produced:
45,000 TV ads
35,000 radio ads
10,000 print impressions
1,000 billboards

As of April 2008:
Montana ranks #39 in the nation for Meth abuse
Teen Meth use has declined by 45%
Adult Meth use has declined by 72%
62% decrease in Meth-related crime

Montana State Attorney General Mike McGrath said, "The Meth Project is very simply changing the nature of crime control in Montana. As of 2005, the Montana criminal justice system was overwhelmed by the consequences of Meth. If we are able to continue to make the kind of progress we have seen in the past two years, methamphetamine will have changed from a crisis to a manageable problem."

Results in Montana have proven the effectiveness of the Meth Project's prevention campaign and other states have begun to adopt the practices.

At the core of the Meth Project's effort is research-validated, high-impact advertising that graphically communicates the risks of Meth use.

Brendan Work, in a Student Editorial for Hellgate Lance said, "Any Montana TV-watcher worth his salt knows when the Montana Meth Project has struck. 'Those Meth ads,' as they're called, are scary, blunt, and downright remarkable. You need to scare the hell out of us. We don't respond to orders. We don't respond to threats. But we respond to our senses."

Here are some of the Montana Meth Advertisements. Like the website stated, these ads are aimed at bluntly showing the effects that Meth use has on people. The ads are very graphic and definitely strike the viewers

So what do you think? How do these ads affect you? Would viewing these ads help you to say no when the opportunity arose for you to try Meth?

To view other poster ads, video ads, etc., and learn more about the Montana Meth Project visit montanameth.org

National prevention campaigns are also in full swing. Learn about the Office of Nation Drug Control Policy's (ONDCP) efforts to inform citizens about Crystal Meth at methresources.gov