Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #106657

Nicole Baker-Wagner, MPH, Hatfield School of Government, Portland State University, PO Box 751, Portland, OR 97207-0751, 503-725-8354, nraybw@aol.com, Sherril B. Gelmon, DrPH, Mark O. Hatfield School of Government, Portland State University, URBN 650; 506 SW Mill, Portland, OR 97207, Jennifer Martin, JD, US Attorney's Office, US Department of Justice, 1000 SW 3rd Ave., Portland, OR 97201, and Kaleen Deatherage, Oregon Partnership, 6443 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy, Suite 200, Beaverton, OR 97221.

Oregon Meth Watch is a coordinated statewide educational effort to improve the health of communities by addressing the problem of methamphetamine. It is coordinated by a coalition of retail businesses, community coalitions, the media, the Oregon Lottery, and law enforcement agencies. The program reduces the availability of ingredients needed to make methamphetamine, decreases business losses, and enhances community awareness of the problem in Oregon.

Methamphetamine is a growing problem; recent DEA statistics reveal that Oregon ranked 11th among states in methamphetamine production and 4th in "super labs." Oregon Meth Watch is a replication of a public education program conducted in Kansas which showed significant reduction in business losses as well as positive recognition from customers and the larger community.

Meth Watch is focused on stores selling the ingredients commonly used in meth production. It includes employee training, placement of key ingredients for meth production behind counters or in high visibility locations, and provision of information to customers about the program and about meth. Over 500 stores in Oregon currently participate.

Program leaders contracted with a Portland State University team to evaluate the program's effectiveness. The evaluation consisted of three methods: a survey of store owners; a survey of a sample of store employees; and an on-line survey of community coalition members. Results will be presented that document the respondents' awareness of the Meth Watch program; observations on the effectiveness and impact of the program; and assessment of the role of community coalitions.

Learning Objectives:

• - To describe the Oregon Meth Watch program and its community-level health education intervention to address the methamphetamine problem
• - To define the approach to evaluation and describe challenges in evaluation approach
• - To present the results of the evaluation from the perspectives of store owners, store employees, and community coalition members
• - To identify lessons learned for community mobilization in other communities and/or with other health education issues

Keywords: Community Education, Drug Abuse

Related Web page: www.oregonmethwatch.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation