HBO 'Montana Meth' documentary airs today

The Daily Inter Lake

A documentary film about methamphetamine use in Montana airs nationally on HBO today and is expected to include the story of a 30-year-old Kalispell woman who's in jail because of a meth addiction.

"Montana Meth," a collaboration of the Montana Meth Project and HBO, takes an unflinching look at the debilitating impact of meth use. It premieres on HBO2 at 9 p.m. mountain time as part of the network's "Addiction" series.

The Montana film is the brainchild of Thomas Siebel, founder and vice chairman of the Montana Meth Project.

"We wanted to show firsthand the impact of meth upon the community, to show the lives meth has destroyed, to delve deeper into the subject than ever before," Siebel said in a prepared statement. "It is our hope that this film will raise awareness of the realities of meth and prove an effective tool in furthering the cause of prevention."

A film crew covered the criminal trial of a Kalispell woman who was convicted of meth use and criminal endangerment and jailed for the offenses.

Within a year of using meth, the woman became estranged to her husband of 10 years, gave up her children and her home and began living in her car. She's scheduled to be released from a prerelease center in Butte on April 24.

The film crew interviewed the woman and her mother. Their stories are among many accounts of how the drug is taking a toll not only on addicts but also their families and communities.

The Montana Meth Project, headquartered in Missoula, has an ongoing public awareness campaign that has received national attention for its direct and innovative advertisements.