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About Us

Meth in Georgia

GEORGIA METH PROJECT FACT SHEET
Key facts related to the Georgia Meth
Project and its program's impacts.
Law enforcement officials, drug counselors, and state legislators agree—there has never been a drug as powerful, addictive, and quick to destroy lives and communities as methamphetamine. Meth is a drug that is crippling Georgia. The financial and social consequences of Meth abuse are devastating. Meth is especially tempting for Georgia's most vulnerable—teens and young adults.
  • Meth Abuse costs Georgia an estimated $1.3 billion annually.1
  • 35% of Georgia teens see little to no risk in tying Meth.2
  • 1 in 5 Georgia teens report that Meth is easy to get.3
  • 58% of Georgia teens say their parents have never talked to them about Meth.4
  • 42% of child endangerment cases in Georgia involve Meth5

WHAT IS THE GEORGIA METH PROJECT?

The Georgia Meth Project is a large-scale prevention program aimed at reducing Meth use through public service messaging, public policy, and community outreach. Central to the integrated, research-based campaign is MethProject.org, a definitive source for information about Meth for teens. MethProject.org is supported by hard-hitting television, radio, print, online, mobile, and social media campaigns that communicate the risks of Meth use.

The Meth Project has been credited with significant declines in Meth use, and was named the 3rd most effective philanthropy in the world by Barron's. Since the Project's launch, teen Meth use has declined 65% in Arizona6, 63% in Montana7, and 50% in Idaho8.

Currently, six state affiliates in Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming implement the Meth Project prevention programs in their states. In Georgia, where the program launched in 2010, young people's attitudes toward Meth are changing. Georgia teens and young adults have come to view Meth as more dangerous and recognize the Georgia Meth Project as a key source of information about the drug.

APPROACH

Every day, people are faced with the decision to try Meth. Many perceive benefits in using the drug, but little to no risk. This is the root of the problem. The goal of the Georgia Meth Project is to arm teens and young adults across the state with the facts about methamphetamine so that they can make well-informed decisions when presented with the opportunity to try it.

RESEARCH-BASED MESSAGING CAMPAIGN

The Georgia Meth Project conducts extensive statewide surveys and focus group research to more thoroughly understand attitudes and behaviors related to methamphetamine in Georgia. This research provides the foundation for Georgia Meth Project's messaging and communication programs.

The Meth Project's campaigns are informed by six years of extensive quantitative and qualitative research with prevention experts and more than 50,000 teens and young adults through 60 national and statewide surveys, and 112 focus groups and have been developed in consultation with top experts in research, prevention, treatment, advertising, and digital media.

The Georgia Meth Project's integrated campaign is designed to reduce Meth use by educating teens, early and often, about the risks of the drug. The centerpiece of its research-based campaign is MethProject.org, a definitive source for information about Meth for teens. Through an immersive multimedia experience, MethProject.org addresses teens' most frequently asked questions about the physical, mental, and social impacts of Meth. MethProject.org is supported by hard-hitting television, radio, print, online, mobile, and social media campaigns that graphically communicate the risks of Meth use.

The Meth Project's campaigns have been cited for their uncompromising approach and demonstrated impact, having won 50 awards, including 11 Gold ADDY Awards, 19 Silver ADDY Awards, 2 Gold Effie Awards, and the Cannes Lions Award at the Cannes International Advertising Festival.

PUBLIC POLICY AND COMMUNITY ACTION

about_us_mission_img1.jpg The Georgia Meth Project activities increase awareness of the critical nature of the Meth problem, influencing and escalating public dialogue to find solutions. Coordinating closely with local, state, and federal agencies, the Georgia Meth Project organizes a broad range of community outreach programs that mobilize communities across Georgia to assist in Meth awareness and prevention activities.

1Estimate based on RAND, The Economic Cost of Methamphetamine Use In the United States. 2005.
2, 3, 4 2010 Georgia Meth Project Use & Attitudes Survey
5 Applied Research Services. "Statewide Meth Survey" 2006
6 Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, Arizona Youth Survey. 2012.
7 Montana Office of Public Instruction, 2011 Montana Youth Risk Behavior Survey. 2012.
8, 9 Centers for Disease Control. 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. 2012.

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