Meth isn’t a new problem for Montana, but it is a growing problem. For members of law enforcement and state prosecutors, it’s growing at an alarming rate.
For instance in 2018, the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program seized more than 129 pounds of meth. At $80 a gram on the street, that adds up to more than $3.5 million!
Senator Steve Daines says that we have seen a 475% increase in meth cases from 2011 to 2017. He says that meth use has led to a rise in violent crime and is straining resources on our local, state and federal law enforcement.
So, I called United States Attorney for Montana Kurt Alme to see the impact of meth on his office.