Project #1

GOALS:

The Goals Stated on The Meth Project Website:
     The overall goal of The Meth Project is to prevent and reduce meth use around the country. The Meth Project raises awareness about the dangers of meth, communicating through public service messaging, public policy, and community programs, and educating the youth early and regularly. They ultimately want teenagers to know enough about meth, “so that they can make well informed decisions when [given] the opportunity to try it.”
The Behaviors The Meth Project is Focused on Changing:
     The Meth Project is focused on preventing meth use all together and making teens not want to try meth at all, “Not Even Once.” These teens might be in the pre-contemplation or the contemplation phase. The Meth Project wants to motivate those who do meth to stop doing meth.

The Meth Project, the 8 P’s:
Product: “The Meth Project is able to provide information on the physical, psychological, and social implications of Meth use due to the important work of institutions and individuals dedicated to advancing knowledge of methamphetamine abuse and its effects,” as well as using the information to deter people from meth.

Price: Time, effort to quit (if already a user), effort to help someone else quit (if a friend or family member uses).

Place:  The Meth Project has come to a few states across the country, so far Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Montana and Wyoming have all been a part of the Meth Project.

Promotion:  The Meth Project has embraces social media, with a presence on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Google+.  They also have a website and run commercials on TV.  They also have online, radio, and print ads as well as documentaries, all of which you can find on their website.

“When the Meth Project launched its Meth: Not Even Once campaign, the public response was overwhelming—people wanted to get involved.

So in the summer of 2006 and again in 2010, the Meth Project launched Paint the State, a first-of-its-kind public art contest and large-scale community action program aimed at broadly communicating the risks of Meth use through public art.

In what became the largest public art contest in history, Paint the State called on the teens of Montana and Idaho to take action in the fight against Meth abuse by creating highly visible pieces of art with a strong anti-Meth message.”

Publics: The target audience of the Meth Project is teens, which includes parents, siblings, and friends in the Meth Project’s public, as well as high school teachers and staff, (mostly officials and guidance counselors).

Partnership:  The Meth Project partners with Organic (a marketing agency), GFK (a research company), PHD (another marketing agency), Safarik Media, Inc. (a marketing agency that specializes in website development), and STUDIO AKA (a London based animation production company), Venables Bell & Partners (an advertising agency), and Anonymous Content (a production firm).

Policy:  “The Meth Project is a large-scale prevention program aimed at reducing Meth use through public service messaging, public policy, and community outreach.”

Purse Strings: “The Meth Project is funded by a grant from the Thomas and Stacey Siebel Foundation,” Thomas is as established businessman who set up the Meth Project back in 2005.  They also accept donations by phone, through the mail, and online.  They also receive money from the annual March Against Meth.

Evaluation: Success of The Meth Project Campaign
Data from Campaign Site:
Evaluation results showed that since the project's launch, teen meth use has declined 65% in Arizona, 63% in Montana, and 52% in Idaho. Since 2005 in Montana alone, teen meth use has declined by 63%, adult meth use has declined by 73%, and meth related crime has decreased by 62%.
Montana Results Since 2005:

• Teen Meth use has declined by 63%
• Adult Meth use has declined by 73@
• Meth-related crime has decreased by 62%

Following the Meth Project’s success in Montana, the model was implemented in 7 additional states including Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois and Wyoming.
            Arizona Results since 2007:

• Lifetime Meth use declines by over 65% among teens
• Meth use in the past 30 days declined by over 69% among teens
• 85% of teens now see risk in trying Meth just once or twice
• Since 2007, teens are more likely to see great risk in trying Mrth in nearly all risk areas measured, including
• 94% Getting hooked
• 81% Becoming violent
• 89% Turning into someone they don’t want to be
• 83% Dying
• 75% Stealing
• 79% Neglecting Personal Hygiene
• 78% Getting Insomnia

Idaho Results since 2008:

• Teen Meth use in Idaho dropped 52% between 2007 and 2009, the largest decline in the nation.
• Compared to the 2007 benchmark survey, Idaho teens have come to view Meth as more dangerous and recognize the Idaho Meth Project as the key source of information
• 81% Report the Idaho Meth Project Ads made them less likely to try or use Meth
• 65% of teens now see significant risks in taking Meth just once or twice
• Since 2007, the number of teens who see “great risk” in 14 potentially negative consequence of trying Meth has risen considerably on every item, including:
• 65% Tooth decay
• 67% Lack of hygiene
• 70% Stealing
• 81% Getting hooked on Meth
• 78% Losing control of themselves
• 71% Having sex with someone they don’t want to
• 80% Turning into someone they don’t want to

citiation: http://foundation.methproject.org/Results/index.php

Data from 2010 Article in The Journal of Health Economics-
“To evaluate the effectiveness of the MMP on teen meth use, this paper uses data from the 1999 to 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (YRBS). When accounting for a preexisting downward trend in meth use, effects on meth use become small and statistically insignificant. These results are robust to using the related changes of meth use among youths without exposure to the campaign as controls in a difference-in-difference specification. A complementary analysis of treatment admissions data confirms the MMP had no effect on meth use.”
citation: http://www.umsl.edu/~keelr/180/Montana%20Meth%20Project.pdf

The Meth Project, New/PR:
http://mauitvnews.com/blog/2013/02/11/12945/
     The Hawaii Meth Project is partnering with the Hawaii Medical Service Association to present a special award for Meth addiction prevention videos as part of HMSA’s 2013 Teen Video Awards Contest. This competition challenges Hawaii’s middle and high school students to create videos focusing on important health issues, encouraging students to create videos that will raise awareness and deliver a message to discourage teen meth use.

http://www.koaa.com/news/former-meth-addict-shares-story-to-save-others/
o   Colorado ranks 7th nationally in the total number of methamphetamine users 12+
o   Kiyana Geske, 26 years old, a recovered crystal meth user joined forces with the Colorado Meth Project and volunteers her time to speak to high schoolers
o   Colorado law enforcement currently ranks crystal meth as their number one problem and costs the state about 1.4 billion annually

http://trib.com/news/local/casper/wyoming-group-launches-drug-prevention-art-contest-winners-earn-cash/article_5fcf60e8-9dd5-5fb2-a9cf-a8e24e5118ac.html
o   Wyoming Meth Project launched a statewide contest for artwork with an anti-methamphetamine theme.

Media Analysis: The Digital, Social, and Traditional media patterns that seemed MOST and LEAST effective in The Meth Project campaign achieve its stated goals:
     In 2005, the Meth Project was started. In just seven years, the Meth Project has spread all over the country (and maybe even the world). Through traditional outreach methods such as community action programs, research based campaigns and community outreach; the members of this project have managed to spread the word of their campaign in an infectious manner. There are eight central Meth Project Foundations: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Montana, and Wyoming, with Montana having a significant focus.
     Their community action initiatives have and continue to engage thousands upon thousands of people to fight against the dangerous epidemic spreading across our country. These community action activities are aimed at increasing awareness and influencing public dialogue to find solutions. These community programs also reach out to local law enforcement agents and federal agencies to get involved in community outreach programs. Two examples of these outreach programs are:
1.     Paint the State
2.     March Against Meth

These events attract thousands of teens and their families to spread awareness about meth use.

      In November of 2011, the Meth Project launched their new digital campaign, most importantly being their website. This new campaign was the culmination of the six years of project development.  Creators of this new media source used qualitative and quantitative research from over 50,000 teens and young adults, including 60 national and statewide surveys, and 112 focus groups. Beyond the Meth Projects numerous Facebook pages and Twitter accounts, they also have television commercials, print media, documentaries, and radio press that helps them get their message out further.
      The visual media that the Meth Project uses to engage its audience is absolutely is very hard to watch. Their messages are blunt and terrifying. Despite conflict over these types of messages, a study released in march of 2012 by researchers at the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University comparing different types of advertisements that used fear tactics, found that those from the Meth Project were the most effective. They didn’t necessarily create a change in behavior or attitude, but they created “distancing behaviors” such as choosing not to use drugs.

      The Meth Project recorded their media output in 2005; it included a large-scale prevention campaign spanning TV, radio, billboards, newspapers, and the Internet, across 8 states. This campaign includes:
•   269,000 TV ads
•   300,900 radio ads
•   9,290,000 print impressions
•   10,800 billboards
1,148,319,842 online impressions

The results? Look at Montana:

·      Montana ranks #39 in the nation for Meth abuse5

·       Teen Meth use has declined by 63%6

·      Adult Meth use has declined by 72%7

·      Meth-related crime has decreased by 62%8I

     It is clear that although the Meth Project uses scare tactics as their primary way of engaging its audience, and that can be a risk for many campaigns, but it has been wildly successful for the Meth Project. The decision to incorporate new age media into the mix has also been a success as it helps to reach more people faster and more efficiently.

The Meth Project

The Meth Project is a social marketing campaign designed to spread awareness about the growing Meth epidemic in the United States. Created in 2005 by Thomas M. Seibel, the Meth Project is a "large-scale prevention program" that aims to reduce the use of Meth through avenues such as public service messages, public policy, and community outreach. At the program's core is it's research based marketing campaign and community action programs that brutally and honestly publicize the risks involved in Meth use.

Don't do meth.
Not. Even. Once.