Meth use takes a dive

The Montana Meth Project, a not-for-profit organization aimed at reducing methamphatime use in the state, unveiled a new advertising campaign recently including four new television ads as well as radio, print and outdoor advertisements.

In a prepared statement, Montana Meth Project Chairman Mike Gulledge said, “Every year the Montana meth use and attitudes survey has shown that more and more young people in Montana disapprove of meth use ... This new campaign encourages teens to turn that disapproval into action.”

According to “The Economic Cost of Methamphetamine Use in Montana,” a report prepared by the Montana Department of Justice in February 2009, meth use cost the state an estimated $200 million in 2008, which takes into account factors such as lost productivity, meth-related health problems, incarceration and law enforcement expenditures, and foster care.

According to a report by the Montana Department of Justice in April 2008, however, progress has been made in the fight against meth.

The report showed that between 2005 and 2007, teen meth usage declined by 44.6 percent, meth-related crime dropped by 62 percent, and meth use on the job fell by 72 percent.