Center for Social Innovation

Tom Siebel launched the Meth Project to prevent first-time meth users. Central to the program is a research-based marketing campaign—supported by community outreach and public policy initiatives—that realistically and graphically communicates the risks of meth use. The campaign treats meth as a consumer product, with the goal of “unselling” it. Montana provided an ideal setting to develop, test, and refine the Meth Project model since the state had a severe meth problem and was a relatively small, isolated media market. 

In September 2005, the Meth Project launched an aggressive public education campaign of saturation-level advertising. After two years of the Project, teen meth use had declined 45 percent, adult meth use declined 72 percent, and Montana went from ranking fifth in the nation for meth abuse to number 39. The campaign continued and by 2009, teen meth use in Montana had declined by more than 63 percent, and meth-related crimes had decreased by 62 percent. Other states such as Arizona, Idaho, Illinois, Wyoming, Hawaii, and Colorado have since implemented the Meth Project.

• Community Foundations