Montana Gives Meth a Face

Montana teens are tuning into more than music videos these days. The state has launched a provocative ad campaign in hopes of fighting the rampant use of meth within its borders.

Visions of students screaming death threats, tormenting families and young children, striking their mother while rifling through a purse for money are just some of the scenarios presented through the commercials. Yet, the most disturbing images may be those of the crusty, scab covered faces of young addicts.

"We did research on 'what do teens want to hear?' says Michael Gulledge of the Montana Meth Project. "They said, 'Don't sugar coat us. Don't sugar coat the issues. Tell it like it is."

Meth crimes account for half of Montana's entire prison population. For female prisoners, it is an astonishing 90%.

Drastically more teens in Montana use meth than the national average. Arrests related to the illegal drug have doubled in the last decade, according to authorities.

HBO is even premiering a documentary on Sunday, based solely on the drug's devastation in this state. It is titled "Montana Meth."

James Tilley is the agent in charge of Montana's DEA office. He says there is a marked difference in the attitude of teens since the campaign began.

"The kids are scared to death. They say, 'I'm not ever going to touch that.' They'll take cocaine and heroine before they'll ever touch methamphetamine," says Tilley, "because of the ads."

The ads began hitting the airwaves in 2005, and early statistics show that they are working. Last year hospitals treated 67% fewer patients addicted to meth, according to Montana's Attorney General. During the same time, there was a drastic 70% drop in employees who tested positive for methamphetamines.

"The thing the meth ads did is that they brought this problem out of hiding," said one Montana student.

Ad producers felt like the ad campaign needed to be jarring, making a stronger impact than attempts decades ago. They felt that teenagers today needed something more in-your-face than Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" approach and the "This is your brain on drugs" commercials.