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South Dakota’s Anti-Meth Campaign Has Everyone Talking

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Did South Dakota's anti-meth campaign hit the target or miss the mark? (via South Dakota Prevention)

South Dakota has a meth problem. But don’t worry, the state is on it.

Gov. Kristi Noem on Monday launched the “Meth. We’re On It” campaign to raise awareness about the drug epidemic.

“South Dakota’s meth crisis is growing at an alarming rate,” she said in a statement. “It impacts every community in our state and threatens the success of the next generation.

“It is filling our jails and prisons, clogging our court systems, and stretching our drug treatment capacity while destroying people and their families,” Noem continued. “This is our problem, and together, we need to get on it.”

The Mount Rushmore State is attacking that problem from all sides: In addition to launching police task forces, Gov. Noem has requested funding to support meth treatment services and launch school-based prevention programming.

Dominated by an agricultural economy and rural lifestyle, the Midwestern state doesn’t offer much in the way of culture; aside from some presidents’ giant faces, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and a rich Native American history, there’s frankly little of note.

Which is perhaps why twice as many South Dakota teens report using meth in the past year than the U.S. average, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

“The campaign is inclusive and empowering and establishes a movement for all South Dakotans to take an active role in keeping our state a great place to live,” Laurie Gill, South secretary of the Department of Social Services, said. “We’re encouraging everyone to work together to eliminate meth.”

Community members are encouraged to take action in their local areas: have discussions, offer support and resources, coordinate volunteer efforts, and advocate for prevention.

With a heavy focus on youth engagement, the campaign (which reportedly cost just short of $449,000) relies heavily on social media to get the word out. And get the word out it has.

The state’s leaders, however, have embraced the social media blowback as a success.

“With about 83 percent of South Dakota’s 2019 court admissions for controlled substances being methamphetamine-related, it’s evident there’s a need for an aggressive approach to reduce use of the devastating drug,” Gill said.

“This is a movement to educate South Dakotans on the signs of addiction, the treatment resources that are available, and how to implement prevention techniques in their homes and among their communities,” she added.

Visit OnMeth.com for a list of available resources and local treatment centers.

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