About the Alaska Meth Education (AME) Project

The Alaska Meth Education Project is aimed at preventing youth from trying meth and educating all Alaskans about the meth problem in our state. Our goal is to reduce meth use and availability in Alaska. A statewide effort, the AME Project is the result of the efforts of five local governments:

The AME Project is currently funded through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Formula Program and is actively working on meth prevention and education in Alaska.

In order to combat meth in Alaska, the AME Project is collaborating with community partners to deliver meth prevention presentations in Anchorage, Fairbanks, the Mat-Su, Juneau and on the Kenai Peninsula. These presentations feature Partnership For Drug Free America’s Meth 360 and WreckEd Programs. The Meth 360 presentation covers all aspects of meth use: what it looks like, how it is made, what is does to your body, how the drug affects communities (crime, dangerous chemical waste), treatment options, prevention practices and how to take action and fight meth in your area. The presentations last about one hour and are free of charge. You can request a presentation in your community on our project homepage www.alaskamethed.com. The WreckEd program is aimed to encourage young people (ages 11-18) to check themselves before they wreck themselves; make positive and healthy life decisions that avoid substance use.

In addition to the community presentations, we have implemented a print and radio media campaign. This campaign builds on the radio and television ads the project ran in 2007. The new ads will run in all five participating regions through November 2009. Ads will primarily focus on meth prevention and building anti-drug attitudes.

The AME project is served by a statewide advisory committee comprised of individuals who have been appointed by their local borough/municipal Mayor. The advisory committee meets regularly with the AME Project Coordinator.

Brief Project History

In 2006, the Mayors of the Tri Borough Area; the Municipality of Anchorage, the Matanuska Susitna Borough and the Kenai Peninsula Borough, joined forces to address the threat of methamphetamine in Alaska.  The tri-borough Mayors were joined shortly thereafter by the Mayors of the Fairbanks North Star Borough and the City and Borough of Juneau.   

This group of local governments set forth to address the threat meth poses to Alaska.  Working together, both public and private funds were raised and the Alaska Meth Education Project was created. 

Since its inception, the AME Project has run a statewide media campaign, held two anti-meth summits, and maintained a project website providing Alaskans with meth prevention resources.