2011 Hawaii Meth Use & Attitudes Survey Shows Significant Shifts in Attitudes Among Teens and Young Adults

Hawaii Teens See Great Risk in Trying Meth Once or Twice, Up Fifteen Points From 2009 Benchmark Survey

News Release www.HawaiiMethProject.org

HONOLULU—June 30, 2011—The Hawaii Meth Project today released findings from the 2011 Hawaii Meth Use & Attitudes Survey which revealed that, compared to a benchmark survey conducted prior to the launch of the Hawaii Meth Project, Hawaii’s young people are significantly more aware of the dangers of trying Meth and increasingly disapprove of trying the drug. Teens increasingly report they have told friends not to use Meth and the Hawaii Meth Project’s campaign made them less likely to try or use the drug.

According to the new study, 59% of Hawaii teens and 73% of Hawaii young adults now see great risk in trying Meth once or twice, up 15 points among teens from 44% in 2009 and up 16 points among young adults from 57%. Hawaii’s young people are also now more aware of the specific, negative effects of Meth use. Increasing numbers of teens see “great risk” in 13 out of the 14 specific negative effects including: getting hooked on Meth (82%, up 11 points) and turning into someone they don’t want to be (83%, up 10 points).

In addition to positive changes in perception of risk, teens are also more likely to strongly disapprove of trying Meth (87%, up 5 points) and increasingly have told their friends not to use the drug (70%, up 11 points). Teens are also now more likely to have discussed the subject of Meth with their parents in the past year (53%, up 5 points).

“The results of the study are overwhelmingly positive and clearly indicate the Hawaii Meth Project campaign is making tremendous strides in changing attitudes and behaviors toward Meth,” said Dr. Kevin Kunz, a specialist in Addiction Medicine in Kailua-Kona and President of the American Board of Addiction Medicine. “Our young people better understand the dangers associated with Meth use and are now less likely to try the drug.”

Teens and young adults also reported that the Hawaii Meth Project’s campaign provided them with critical information about Meth and made them less likely to try the drug. Most teens (88%) and young adults (75%) agree the Hawaii Meth Project ads made them less likely to try or use Meth, and 91% of teens and young adults say the ads show that Meth is more dangerous to try than they originally thought. In addition, 95% of teens and 96% of young adults say that if their brother, sister, or a friend were thinking about trying Meth, they would want them to see or hear a Hawaii Meth Project ad.

“The Hawaii Meth Project’s approach of combining public service messaging campaigns with direct outreach and education has made a marked difference,” said Kathryn Matayoshi, Superintendent for the Department of Education. “The Project not only reaches teens with a campaign that shows Meth is highly addictive and destructive, it also involves them through effective and engaging programs in our classrooms and communities.”

The Hawaii Meth Project has made tremendous progress in educating teens about the risks of Meth use, but the problem is far from solved. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, methamphetamine is at its highest levels of availability and purity and lowest price since 2005.

Two in ten Hawaii teens (19%) report that the drug would be easy to get. Roughly one in ten Hawaii teens (9%) report someone has offered or tried to get them to use the drug.

It is estimated that Meth abuse costs the state more than $500 million annually in costs associated with law enforcement, social services, treatment, and lost productivity1. Hawaii ranks #2 in the nation for Meth-related treatment admissions2, and according to Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing Index™ 2010 data, workers in Hawaii are 4 times more likely to test positive for Meth than the national average in workplace drug testing.

The Hawaii Meth Use & Attitudes Survey is conducted to measure attitudes and behaviors related to methamphetamine among Hawaii teens and young adults, and tracks changes over time. A benchmark survey was conducted in the spring of 2009, prior to the launch of the Hawaii Meth Project’s prevention campaign. The 2011 Hawaii Meth Use & Attitudes Survey was executed in March and April 2011 by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Corporate Communications. The survey was conducted among random samples of 1,205 teens (ages 12-17) who attended one of 30 randomly selected junior and senior high schools across Hawaii, both private and public, as well as a random sample of 347 young adults (ages 18-24).

The executive summary and complete survey report can be obtained from the Hawaii Meth Project’s website at http://hawaiimethproject.org/About_Us/publications.php.

The 2011 survey results were announced in conjunction with the new wave of television, radio, print, and online ads at a press conference at the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility (HYCF), the state’s only juvenile correctional facility. The advertisements were developed based on extensive research with teens, and prevention and treatment experts. To view the new wave of ads, visit www.Facebook.com/HawaiiMethProject.

The public service messaging campaign is part of the Hawaii Meth Project’s integrated public education program, which also includes community outreach conducted in partnership with local coalitions, prevention and treatment partners, law enforcement, and state and local governments.

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About the Hawaii Meth Project

The Hawaii Meth Project is a non-profit organization that implements a range of advertising and community action programs to reduce methamphetamine use in the state. Launched in June 2009, the Hawaii Meth Project leverages a proven model that combines extensive research with a hard-hitting, integrated media campaign. The Hawaii Meth Project is affiliated with the Meth Project, a national non-profit organization headquartered in Palo Alto, California, aimed at significantly reducing Meth use through public service messaging, public policy, and community outreach.

For more information, visit www.HawaiiMethProject.org.

PDF: Latest survey shows changes in attitudes towards Meth. READ SURVEY

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