Montana Meth Project
The Montana Meth Project (MMP) is a Montana-based non-profit organization founded by businessman Thomas Siebel which seeks to reduce methamphetamine use, particularly among teenagers.
The organizations main approach includes television, radio, print, and internet public service announcements that graphically depict the negative consequences of methamphetamine use.
"[4] A study was published in the Journal of Marketing Research validating the effectiveness of the Meth Project's advertising in deterring substance abuse.
[5] The researchers tested the effectiveness of several advertisements—including the Meth Project's—and found that ads that relied on fear alone to convey their message did not lead to immediate changes in attitudes or behavior.
However, according to the study, the Meth Project ads that incorporated an element of “disgust,” such as rotting teeth, skin sores or infections, did compel viewers to “undertake distancing behaviors,” such as deciding not to use illegal drugs.
[9][10] In its efforts to effectively reach teens and change attitudes and behaviors toward meth, the MMP regularly conducts focus group research to refine its messaging and better understand how to connect with the state's youth.
In contrast to the YRBS data, the MMP's figures indicate that the percentage of teenagers using meth in Montana increased following the launch of the ad campaign.
[21] In November 2006, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) published a report, Pushing Back Against Meth: A Progress Report on the Fight,[22] highlighting the impact of recently enacted State and Federal laws, such as the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act (CMEA) of 2005, that restricted transactions for the over the counter drugs that can be used to manufacture methamphetamine.
Based on the results of Quest Diagnostics' preliminary review of workplace drug tests conducted during the first five months of 2006, the nationwide adult usage of meth declined by 12% when compared to the same period in 2005.
However, the ONDCP reported: "The primary reason for this positive trend is the enactment of various State laws...which implemented restrictions on transactions involving products containing certain chemicals (primarily, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine) that can be used to make methamphetamine.
Among teens, risks such as stealing, lack of attention to personal hygiene, and tooth decay increased significantly (11%, 7.5%, and 19% respectively).
"[24] A critical review of the Montana Meth Project's advertising campaign was published in the peer-review journal Prevention Science[25] in December 2008.
The review found that the selective reporting of results by the Meth Project has led the media, politicians and the public to form distorted and inaccurate beliefs about the campaign's effectiveness.
The main recommendation of the review was that public funding and additional roll-outs of the program should cease until its effectiveness can be scientifically examined.
[31][32] The March was criticized by some Montanans, who suggested some teenagers were lured to attend due to free giveaways of iPods and the presence of a blackhawk helicopter.
The large-scale community action program, launched in Montana[35] and Idaho[36] in 2010, empowers teenagers to create artwork with a strong anti-Meth message that is clearly visible to the general public.
