1 in 4 teens say meth is easy to get and is healthy

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In a recent study by the Meth Project, is a nonprofit anti-drug group, results showed nearly one quarter of teens say meth is very easy to get. Also, one in three teens believe there is only a slight risk or no risk in trying meth once or twice.

The survey for The Meth Project was conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media and interviewed 2,602 junior and high school students aged 12 to 17, in 43 schools across the nation.

About one quarter of the teens also said that doing meth has beneficial effects, saying meth makes them feel euphoric and very happy. About 22 percent of the teens said it helps them lose weight and similar number of people said it helps them deal with boredom.

This study prompted lawmakers and government officials to declare there should be more education about the dangers of drugs to these teens who think otherwise.

Dr. Julie Gerberding, head of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told MSNBC:

For kids, meth is death. And if we really want to do something about improving the survival of our adolescents and help them become healthy adults, we've got to tackle this problem head on.

Gerberding praised The Meth Project's two-year anti-meth ad campaign in Montana, which helped reduce meth use in the state by 45 per cent after it was launched in 2005. The ad shows graphic images showing the drug’s effect on young kids.

Gerberding said the kids need to be educated early on. The survey showed about 77 percent of the kids started doing meth when they were younger than 15 years old.

However, not all the feedback from the study was negative, as about 76 percent voiced strong disapproval with trying meth even once or twice.

Another survey done by the Health and Human Services Department showed meth use among teens nationally remained unchanged over the same period.

The White House drug czar, John Walters, said we have lot of work to do based on the survey. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy began a meth prevention ad campaign earlier this month. The print and broadcast ads, including four produced by The Meth Project, will appear in eight states where meth use remains high: Alaska, California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Oregon and Washington. Walters said these prevention efforts are necessary and will help reduce the drug abuse.

In my opinion, the government effort in the war on drugs is laughable, as they don't do enough to stem drugs from coming into the country. Also, parents also have to play a vital part; if they teach kids from day one about the damages caused by drugs, it will no doubt help their children stay away from it.