Madd Chapter Closes In Montana

Montana’s first chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, established in the wake of three teenagers’ alcohol-related traffic deaths here in 1993, has ceased to operate.

Some key members of the chapter in Great Falls gradually dropped out because of family moves or other obligations, and people have not stepped in to take their places.

“As soon as they forget about the tragedy, nobody comes to meetings,” said Judy Deck, one of the early organizers. “People don’t even think about it until somebody’s killed. I want to stop it before it happens, not after it happens.”

MADD of Great Falls stopped meeting about a year ago. Nationwide, the organization has some 600 chapters, including one in Billings. MADD works for public-policy changes and other action intended to reduce drunken driving.

In Great Falls, participation kept dwindling until finally just a handful of stalwarts, including Deck, remained.

The Montana Highway Patrol said 265 people died in wrecks on the state’s highways in 1997, and about 40 percent of the crashes were alcohol-related.