[The Godfather]

Montana Meth Project
I've been seeing these ads on TV for over a month now. Do you think they are as effective, less, or more effective at convincing our teenage children that meth is very dangerous?
P.S. In no way I am supporting this ad campaign as a replacement for parental education and supervision.

[Mastrap]

I think this is a pretty good campaign. Meth is an evil, evil, evil drug. There is no period of grace, there is no recreational use, there is no control.

Edit: Correctinated. But yes, I hated Math as well.

[hyteckit]

Originally Posted by Mastrap 

I think this is a pretty good campaign. Math is an evil, evil, evil drug. There is no period of grace, there is no recreational use, there is no control.

Math is an evil, evil, evil drug? Man, I never knew someone can hate Math that much.

[L'enfanTerrible]

Unrelated to this drug or this campaign, but in the same spirit, there are adverts in Canada right now showing people in the hospital for Cancer treatment from cigarettes, and they're semi-graphic. They helped this smoker quit cold turkey after 6 years.

[CollinG3G4]

Effective or not, those ads sum up every meth-head I've been acquaintanced with.
I assure you, the stealing, violent behavior, and disgusting facial appearance are all real qualities exhibited by long term users.

[centerchannel68]

I don't know anybody who does meth, and I'm glad I don't. You have to be pretty stupid to start messing around with meth or heroin.

[davesimondotcom]

Meth: Putting Montana on the map.

I'm so proud.

Seriously, these ads are pretty effective. But damn hard to see/watch. We've been seeing them here in Montana for about two years, I think.

[Chuckit]

Those are good. All the other anti-drug commercials need to learn from those how not to just make stupid **** up.

[paul w]

Did not actually make me want to try meth at all, hence I suppose they're effective.

Otherwise they're really, really well done.

[Aron Peterson]

Originally Posted by centerchannel68 

I don't know anybody who does meth, and I'm glad I don't. You have to be pretty stupid to start messing around with meth or heroin.

Stay well clear from it and if any of your friends of family use it don't keep it a secret. Shame them and then help them stop by getting them involved in something better like going to the gym or doing something fun on a regular basis. If you know anyone selling the stuff call the cops. They're destroying lives.

[sek929]

Speed kills, unfortunately all we get around here are anti-pot commercials 24/7 I really wouldn't mind seeing at least a few commercials about actual drugs.

In fact, I don't think I've seen ONE commercial showing the dangers of abusing alcohol underage or any other drug for that matter.

[centerchannel68]

Originally Posted by sek929 

In fact, I don't think I've seen ONE commercial showing the dangers of abusing alcohol underage or any other drug for that matter.

Actually, me neither. Strange.

[BRussell]

The research on these is pretty clear: They don't work. Some research shows that exposure to them increases the odds of drug use. The politicians are very happy to pat themselves on the back about how wonderful they are, though.

[JoshuaZ]

Originally Posted by BRussell 

The research on these is pretty clear: They don't work. Some research shows that exposure to them increases the odds of drug use. The politicians are very happy to pat themselves on the back about how wonderful they are, though.

Hmmm... you could say the same thing about absinence only programs.... (According to recent research which I will fail to link to, thus causing anger and silly posts from several MacNN users until someone actually provides a link, in which case someone will provide ANOTHER link to obscure data compiled at the University of Panama, that will probably make no sense at all, yet will be cited over and over again until this thread is locked or the new user name someone created just for this argument is banned.)

[malvolio]

Originally Posted by BRussell 

The research on these is pretty clear: They don't work. Some research shows that exposure to them increases the odds of drug use. The politicians are very happy to pat themselves on the back about how wonderful they are, though.

Yes, I'm afraid these are going to be just as ineffective as most anti-drug ads. Too many utter BS ads over the years have made kids cynical.
And that's a pity. As us old-time hippies knew way back in the 60s, SPEED KILLS!
It's even worse than crack, which is quite an accomplishment.

[Mastrap]

Originally Posted by BRussell 

The research on these is pretty clear: They don't work. Some research shows that exposure to them increases the odds of drug use. The politicians are very happy to pat themselves on the back about how wonderful they are, though.

Except that this campaign does seem to work. Convictions for running a meth lab in Montana have decreased from 174/year before the ad campaign started to 2 in the last year.

Link to the full report.

RESULTS
CHANGING ATTITUDES
Results from the 2007 Montana Meth Use & Attitudes Survey show the dramatic impact the Meth Project's public education campaign has had on attitudes toward Meth in the state.

Understanding the negative consequences of Meth use is at an all time high. For example, our target audience of Montana teens believes that Meth carries a greater risk than any other drug if used just once - greater even than heroin.

In the past two years, there have been dramatic shifts in the perception of risks and the perception of benefits associated with Meth use, more frequent parent-child communications, and greater social disapproval.

93% of teens see great risk in trying Meth1
96% of parents say they have discussed Meth use with their teen in the past year2
87% of teens disapprove of Meth use3
85% of young adults say their friends would give them a hard time for using Meth4
"I am only 16 and I believe these commercials served their purpose. They scared me so much, but in a good way. They showed what I could and don't want to become."
Carly Kennedy Guerra, Letter to the Editor, Billings Gazette

IMPACTING BEHAVIOR
The Office of the Attorney General's 2007 Trends and Impact Report summarizes key Methamphetamine indicators including local law enforcement data, crime lab toxicology reports, and workplace drug testing data. For the first time, Meth use and associated crime in Montana has declined.

70% decrease in workers testing positive for Meth5
41% decrease in criminals testing positive for Meth6
53% decrease in Meth-related crime from 2005 to 20067

"Data collected in 2006 indicates that programs recently initiated in Montana have begun to have a significant impact on the state's Methamphetamine problem... While the data are preliminary, the evidence available clearly demonstrates that the prevention campaign started in 2005 by the Montana Meth Project has had a positive impact on the state of Montana. Critical indicators point to reductions in Meth use, related crime and availability, and to a growing perception of the great risk associated with using this drug. Combined with other enforcement and prevention efforts, the Montana Meth Project's education campaign has had dramatically positive results."
Montana State Attorney General Mike McGrath
READ THE FULL REPORTS

2, 3, 4 2007 Montana Meth Use & Attitudes Survey, Roper GfK, March 7, 2007
1, 5, 6, 7 Methamphetamine in Montana: A Preliminary Report on Trends and Impact, Montana Montana Attorney General's Office, January 2006