U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

Bureau of Justice Assistance 

FS 000318 • ocToBER 2009 

Combating Methamphetamine Abuse 

By Rebecca M. Rose, BJA Policy Advisor 

According to the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 13 

million Americans ages 12 or older reported using methamphetamine at least once 

during their lifetimes, representing 5.3 percent of the population. According to the 2009 

National Methamphetamine Threat Assessment, “Rising methamphetamine availability 

in the first half of 2008 coincided with indications of rising domestic methamphetamine 

production. The number of reported methamphetamine laboratory seizures in the United 

States decreased each year from 2004 through 2007; however, preliminary 2008 

data and reporting indicate that domestic methamphetamine production is increasing 

in some areas of the country, and laboratory seizures for 2008 are outpacing seizures 

for 2007.” In response to this continued threat, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) 

has supported programs to educate our communities about meth abuse and support law 

enforcement efforts to fight it. 

Meth Prevention and Education 

As first responders, law enforcement officers can play an important role in informing the 

public about the dangers associated with meth use. Through a BJA-funded project with 

the Partnership for a Drug-Free America (the Partnership), law enforcement agencies 

across the nation are collaborating with other stakeholders to educate their communities 

about the dangers of meth and provide information, tools, and resources to educate 

and empower concerned citizens to address this threat in a proactive and informed 

way. The program, Meth360, involves presentations that are co-delivered by teams of 

local law enforcement and treatment and prevention professionals in order to create an 

infrastructure to fight drug threats beyond meth. 

Two additional programs have been developed to complement the Meth360 program: 

(1) Parents360, which delivers information to parents about how to spot drug and 

alcohol use and what to do when they discover abuse, and (2) WreckED, an interactive 

prevention program that engages teen audiences in discussions about today’s drug and 

alcohol scene. The Partnership has developed modules for different types of drugs of 

abuse so that these programs can be customized to address the greatest drug threats in 

a community. 

1 • Fact Sheet 

While we are making great strides 

in improving community safety, 

methamphetamine continues to challenge 

local and state justice agencies and tribal 

communities nationwide. To win the fight 

against methamphetamine, communities 

need a toolbox of resources, including 

promising and effective strategies. The 

Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) provides 

information and resources to communities 

to address this complex problem, including 

prevention and education programs as 

well as support for enforcement efforts 

including investigative strategies and 

state and local drug task forces. Through 

our partnerships with the Office of 

National Drug Control Policy and the 

Drug Enforcement Administration, BJA 

is committed to fighting this devastating 

problem by supporting effective 

prevention, education, treatment, and 

enforcement strategies. 

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR 

KEY POINTS 

continued on p. 2 

• The number of methamphetamine 

laboratory seizures in the United 

States decreased each year from 

2004 through 2007; however, 

preliminary 2008 data and 

reporting indicate that domestic 

methamphetamine production is 

increasing in some areas of the 

country. 

• Methamphetamine addiction is 

treatable and problem-solving 

initiatives such as drug courts and 

innovative reentry programs can help 

communities stop the cycle of abuse. 
Improving Law Enforcement Investigations 

BJA supports several resources to improve the ability of law enforcement to effectively 

•	 Resources and information must be investigate methamphetamine activity: 

made available to protect the most 

vulnerable victims of meth abuse— 

children. 

KEY POINTS (cont.) 

•	 A new resource makes information 

available to communities, parents, and 

teens through a partnership between 

first responders and prevention 

professionals. 

•	 The most effective strategies to 

fight methamphetamine abuse are 

comprehensive and collaborative 

ones—those that include prevention, 

education, treatment, and enforcement. 

•	 BJA offers strategies and programs 

to assist states and local and 

tribal communities in developing 

comprehensive approaches to combat 

meth abuse. 

CONTACT US 

Bureau of Justice Assistance 

office of Justice Programs 

810 Seventh Street NW. 

Washington, Dc 20531 

Phone: 202–616–6500 

Toll-free: 1–866–859–2687 

E-mail: AskBJA@usdoj.gov 

Web site: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA 

*FS~000318*

•	 The Regional Information Sharing System provides secure communication capabilities, 

deconfliction services, investigative support, and specialized surveillance equipment. 

•	 Training for narcotics investigators and task force commanders that addresses officer 

safety, task force personnel and informant management, criminal intelligence, and 

risk management. 

•	 Training and technical assistance to help states develop methamphetamine precursor 

tracking systems for investigative leads. 

Improving outcomes Through Problem-Solving 

Meth addiction is treatable and through its Drug court Program and other problemsolving initiatives, BJA has placed a priority on enhancing access to treatment resources. 

Problem-solving courts in particular provide the added accountability and service 

coordination needed to address meth addiction. Problem-solving reentry courts or 

programs such as San Francisco’s Back on Track and Hawaii’s operation HoPE are 

examples of other efforts to improve outcomes for drug-involved offenders. BJA has 

partnered with the American Probation and Parole Association to develop supervision 

strategies for meth-addicted offenders who are returning to the community following 

incarceration. This added accountability from courts, probation, and law enforcement 

is central to effectively managing and treating a meth-involved offender. 

Protecting Drug Endangered children 

Many professionals have witnessed the devastating effects experienced by children 

living in homes where meth is being made and used. As a result, multidisciplinary teams 

comprising law enforcement, social services, medical providers, and prosecutors have 

emerged to jointly protect and secure the interests of the child victims while building 

cases against those who commit crimes. BJA has partnered with the National Alliance 

for Drug Endangered children to support communities throughout the nation in building 

and sustaining these multidisciplinary partnerships at the state and local level. 

RESOURCES 

BJA’s Role in Combating Meth: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/combatmeth.html
 

National Drug Intelligence Center’s National Methamphetamine Threat Assessment 2009:
 

www.usdoj.gov/ndic/pubs32/32166/32166p.pdf 

Meth Resources: www.methresources.gov 

Office of National Drug Control Policy’s Methamphetamine Facts and Figures: 

www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/methamphetamine/index.html 

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America Meth360 Program: www.drugfree.org/meth360 

National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children: www.nadec.org 

American Probation and Parole Association’s Reentry of Methamphetamine Addicted 

Offenders: www.appa-net.org/eweb/Dynamicpage.aspx?webcode=IV_ProjectDetail&wps 

key=6226e668-8911-4e6f-842f-e52d07b2b5df 

2 • Fact Sheet