Education

Public education and outreach are important parts of preventing methamphetamine use in Montana.

Community toolkit
The community toolkit has a variety of pieces to help community groups educate the public about meth. There are brochures, posters, bookmarks and stickers. A CD and a DVD are included, with public service announcements, slide shows and a copy of a student documentary made by University of Montana students. The kit also includes a "leaders' guide" with suggestions and tips for using the pieces. For more information on the toolkit, call the Department of Justice at (406) 444-2026.

Teen meth use

The Office of Public Instruction administers the Montana Youth Risk Behavior Survey every two years to students in grades 7-12.

A special report (PDF) from the Office of Public Instruction compared the behavior of young people who admitted using meth with those who said they have not used it.

In general, Montana youth who use meth place themselves at a higher risk for negative health consequences from other behaviors – drinking, driving after drinking, using other drugs, fighting, attempting suicide – than young people who do not use methamphetamine.

April 2008 report

In April 2008, Montana Attorney General Mike McGrath released a follow up report on the state's progress against methamphetamine.

Methamphetamine in Montana: A Follow-up Report on Trends and Progress was done in conjunction with the Montana Meth Project. Trends identified in the report were based on data including drug task force incident reports, law enforcement statistics, crime lab reports, hospital discharge and admission information, survey results and interviews with participating agencies.

Trends and impact

In March 2008, the Montana Attorney General's Office released a report that suggested the state continues to make progress against the use of methamphetamine.

Related links

Weed and Seed
A U.S. Department of Justice multi-agency program for crime prevention, community revitalization and law enforcement

Montana Meth Use and Attitudes Survey:
23% of Montana teens age 12 to 17 report that methamphetamine would be "very easy" for them to get.
(Montana Meth Project, August 2005)