DIRECTOR OF MINNESOTA DRUG POLICY SPEAKS OUT

Message From Above

A rebuttal about the Make the Peace billboard campaign:

I am disappointed with the City Limits story on the Make the Peace campaign
("What If They Swore Less?," December).

We're not naive enough to believe that exposure to a single message from
TV, radio, or a billboard is going to instantly change a person's behavior.
But I think you'll agree that advertising is a powerful way to shape
attitudes. The idea behind the campaign is to use the media to reinforce
the message that we are all responsible for our actions, which together can
create an environment that fosters respect.

Contrary to your article, our research does establish the campaign's
effectiveness. In a phone survey two years into the campaign, we found that
34.2 percent of respondents recalled seeing the campaign (50 percent among
people of color); high numbers of those reported changes in behavior as a
result. After the second year, we surveyed 500 people who had received
campaign materials; 67 percent rated the materials positively and reported
positive changes in behavior among those exposed to them. To date, the
campaign has made more than 910 million impressions and has been picked up
by more than 700 community organizations.

The state has contributed $ 3.5 million to the campaign and raised $ 3.5
million more in in-kind and cash support. We've distributed more than
540,000 brochures about violence in the workplace, home, and community and
14,000-plus peacemaking curricula to schools and early-childhood programs
in the state. We've conducted more than 400 presentations on how to use the
materials. Our Web site (www.makethepeace.org) gets more than 3,000
visitors each month from all over the world.

The campaign has contributed to fostering an overall environment of peace
in our state. It's also been an example of state government working in
cooperation with schools, community organizations, media outlets,
foundations, and corporations in providing a useful public service.

State funding will end after five years. However, since the campaign has
been incorporated into the work of community groups and schools and since
the Web site will continue to provide access to materials, we expect
positive effects for years to come.

Mary Ellison
Director, Office of Drug Policy and Violence Prevention
Minnesota Department of Public Safety