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

What is Crystal Meth?

The National Geographic produced a documentary on Crystal Meth. Lisa Ling takes an inside look into the meth epidemic...


To purchase the full copy of the documentary visit The National Geographic's online store


According to The Partnership for a Drug-Free America, Crystal Meth is defined as "a very pure, smokeable form of methamphetamine. It is a powerful and extremely addictive man-made stimulant. Its use can lead to severe physiological and psychological dependence." It can be taken orally, intranasally (snorting the powder), by needle injection, or by smoking. Crystal Meth is a highly addictive stimulant with euphoric effects.

Methamphetamine is available with a prescription for obesity, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and narcolepsy, but crystal meth is a street drug, made in illegal labs by chemically altering over-the-counter drugs (about.com). Meth use has both short and long-term effects on the body some of which take affect immediatly.

The Center for Substance Abuse Research says methamphetamine was derived from amphetamine in Japan in 1919. Both of these chemicals were originally used in nasal decongestants and in bronchial inhalers. Methamphetamine has also been used in the treatment of obesity. It first came to the United States in the 1930's. Use of the drug surged in the 1950's and 1960's, when users began injecting more frequently. The drug was outlawed as a part of the U.S. Drug Abuse and Regulation Control Act of 1970. Production and trafficking soared again in the 1990's in relation to organized crime in the Southwestern United States and Mexico.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, currently, the most effective treatments are behavioral. Contingency management interventions, which provide tangible incentives in exchange for engaging in treatment and maintaining abstinence, have also been shown to be effective. There are no medications at this time approved to treat methamphetamine addiction; however, this is an active area of research for NIDA.

Crystal Meth Statistics

Over 1.4 million Americans tried Meth in 2006
Over 12.3 million Americans age 12 and older have tried Meth since 2003
Meth use is greatest amond 35-45 year olds
The biggest increase in treatment is among 18-25 year olds
Meth treatment admission has outpaced cocaine and herion in 14 US states
Meth currently sells for $12,000 to $16,000 per pound at he wholesale level