RESULTS

By using consumer marketing and advertising strategies as the basis for its outreach, the Meth Project has been repeatedly cited as a powerful private sector response to a devastating social problem. It was recently recognized by the White House as one of the nation's most powerful and creative anti-drug programs.

Recent survey data in Montana, where the Meth Project first initiated its prevention campaign in 2005, demonstrates that attitudes and behaviors toward Meth have changed since the campaign launched. The Montana Attorney General has issued data showing that Meth use and related crime have been on the decline in the same timeframe. In addition, Montana's Youth Risk Behavior Survey released in June 2009, found that Meth use among teens in the state has dropped drastically since the Meth Project launch in 2005.

RESULTS

MONTANA METH PROJECT SUMMARY RESULTS

The Problem
As of September 2005 Montana was overwhelmed by methamphetamine abuse:

  • Montana ranked #5 in the nation for Meth abuse1
  • 50% of inmates were incarcerated for Meth2
  • 50% of foster-care admissions were Meth-related3

THE CAMPAIGN

As of September 2005, the Meth Project has sustained a large-scale, statewide prevention campaign spanning TV, radio, billboards, newspapers, and the Internet. This campaign includes:

  • 71,000 TV ads
  • 64,000 radio ads
  • 140,000 print impressions
  • 2,100 billboards

IMPACT

Montana Market Results since 2005:

  • Montana ranks #39 in the nation for Meth abuse4
  • Teen Meth use has declined by 63%5
  • Adult Meth use has declined by 72%6
  • Meth-related crime has decreased by 62%7

"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."
Chief Justice of the Montana Supreme Court, Mike McGrath

READ THE FULL REPORTS

Results in Montana have proven the effectiveness of the Meth Project's prevention campaign. As a model prevention program for states nationwide, the Meth Project has expanded into Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, and Wyoming. Additional states are expected to launch in the coming year.


1, 4 Office of National Drug Control Policy, Pushing Back Against Meth: A Progress Report on the Fight Against Methamphetamine in the United States. November 2006.
2, 3, 6, 7 Montana Attorney General, Mike McGrath. Methamphetamine in Montana: A Follow-up Report on Trends and Progress. April 2008.
5 Montana Office of Public Instruction, 2009 Montana Youth Risk Behavior Survey. June 2009.