Meth Survey Says Kids Understand Risks [AUDIO]

Wyoming teens are getting the message when it comes to methamphetamine use, this according to a survey sponsored by the Wyoming Meth Project. The results of the survey were announced at a meeting at Kelly Walsh High School Monday.

Wyoming Meth Project Chairman Nathan Bekke:

"Thank you for joining us today as we share the positive results from the 2011 Wyoming Meth Use and Attitude Survey. Before we get to the numbers, I'd like to extend my appreciation to Brad Diller, principal of Kelly Walsh High School, and the students, for welcoming us to their school today. I'd also like to acknowledge our advisory council members who are with us today, Suzy McMurry, Jaci Schoup, Judge Bill Downes, there's Mike Burnett in the back, thanks Mike, and also our former advisory council chairman and current county commissioner, Bill McDowell."

One result of the survey found that 84 percent of teens think that meth would be a bad way to escape from life's problems, up six percent from the 2008 survey. If you'd like to read the survey, Wyoming Meth Project Executive Director Jean Davies says you can find it on their website.

Read the full survey:

"If you go to our website, the Wyoming Meth Project website, the survey is on the website. It's about 72 pages, wyomingmethproject.org."

When asked about how to get kids to choose long-term, hard-won experiences over the immediate thrill of drugs, Casper Police Captain Mark Trimble admitted that's a tough sell.

Short-term versus long-term:

"It is a tough sell to try and teach 17- and 18-year-olds that there's other ways to stimulate your brain or experience the world around you without having to be under a substance to do it. Whether it's involvement in the arts or it's involvement with the community or it's getting into a team sport or something like that; there's other ways to elevate yourself and energize yourself, both socially, mentally and physically than doing it with chemicals. You practice piano for 12 years, at the end you're a concert pianist, you're in New York City, the world's at your feet kind of thing. Twelve years of the meth use, I guarantee that's not where you're going to be."

Chairman Bekke also thanked a new sponsor to the Wyoming Meth Project.

Supporters of the campaign:

"We wouldn't be here sharing this good news today without the support of generous partners, Mick and Suzy McMurry from the McMurry Foundation, the Martin Family Foundation, the Daniel's Fund, Cloud Peak Energy, and the most recent addition to our list of supporters, the Wyoming Department of Health. We are grateful to Gov. Matt Mead and the director of the department of health, Tom Forslund for joining our efforts to eliminate first-time meth use amongst teens."

To address the question of when they can consider the campaign a success, Bekke said the survey indicated kids can still acquire meth, and the Wyoming Meth Project will have work to do until the drug is no longer a menace.