Strategies to Fight Meth and Other Drugs

Tracy Russo

Today, President Obama released the Administration’s inaugural National Drug Control Strategy, which establishes five-year goals for reducing drug use and its consequences through a balanced policy of prevention, treatment, enforcement, and international cooperation.

As first responders, law enforcement officers can play an important role in informing the public about the dangers associated with meth and other drug use. Through a project funded by the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs and its Bureau of Justice Assistance with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, law enforcement agencies across the nation are collaborating with other stakeholders to educate their communities about the dangers of substance abuse. They also provide information, tools, and resources to educate and empower concerned citizens to address these threats in a proactive and informed way.

PACT360 – Police and Communities Together – is a law enforcement-led, community prevention education system designed to deal with and rapidly respond to, drug threats in communities. Presentations are jointly delivered by teams of local law enforcement, treatment and prevention professionals. The goal of the program is to help reduce illicit drug use, and its accompanying criminal behavior, to improve public safety and quality of life in the community.

The primary program components of PACT360 include:

Meth360 is a meth prevention program that focuses on aspects of meth from experts with diverse perspectives on the issue—a true “360 degree” view. The program challenges concerned citizens to educate themselves about the dangers of meth and take action to stop the spread of this dangerous drug.

Parents: You Matter is a multi-media training program that educates parents about why kids use drugs and alcohol, how to spot drug and alcohol use and what to do when they discover abuse.

WreckEd is an interactive prevention program that engages teen audiences in discussions about today’s drug and alcohol scene. Utilizing a stimulating narrative, real-life scenarios and an interactive game, WreckED provides the opportunity for teens to fully reflect upon the choices and consequences associated with alcohol and drug abuse and to continually keep themselves and their friends in check.

Latino360 brings Meth360 to the Hispanic community, with a presentation specifically tailored to reflect the unique needs of the Spanish-speaking community in the U.S.

Since 2005, programs have been launched in 24 lead communities, with a planned expansion to 10 additional communities in 2010. Since the inception of the program, over 800 presentations have been delivered across the country and were seen by more than 27,000 audience members. More than 1,300 presenters have been trained to deliver the programs, and more than 1,440 people have registered as presenters in 48 states and 9 foreign countries.

If you are a law enforcement, prevention, or treatment professional, or if you work in another way towards the prevention of substance abuse, you can join the PACT360 community by becoming a presenter or coordinator.

If you are a member of the public who is concerned about the rise of meth abuse and wants to see a presentation, or host one at your community group or place of business, the Presentation Search function can be used to locate presentations and/or contact presenters near you.

Please visit the program websites today to download materials – all free of charge- and to participate in online presenter training, learn about upcoming presentations in your community, and discover what you can do to become a champion for these prevention education programs in your community.

Through our partnerships with the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Partnership, the Department of Justice is committed to fighting this devastating problem and supporting effective prevention, education, treatment and enforcement strategies.