ANTIDRUG ADS LOST ON TEENS

Survey: Federal Spots Haven't Deterred Use

WASHINGTON -- President Bush's top drug policy adviser says the
government's antidrug ads are largely being ignored by teens, and a survey
finds no evidence the multimillion-dollar campaign is discouraging drug use.

The survey, conducted by the private research firm Westat and the
University of Pennsylvania, charted an increase in drug use among some
teenagers who saw the television ads. But it said further analysis was
necessary before the ads could be directly tied to the increase.

The White House drug policy office, headed by John Walters, said the ad
campaign must be refocused.

Walters said the ads and their impact will be reviewed every six months.
"If we can't make them work, we're going to end the program and put the
money where the other needs in this area are," he said Wednesday on ABC's
"Good Morning America."

The evaluation is based on a survey of youths ages 12 to 18 between
September 1999 and December.

Parents also were surveyed about ads persuading them to be more involved in
their children's lives.

Those interviewed were shown the commercials on a laptop computer. The
teenagers then answered questions about their intentions to use drugs in
the next 12 months.

The survey revealed no decline in the rate of drug use among those
surveyed. But 80 percent of the parents who viewed the ads aimed at them
were positively influenced to ask their children questions about their
social lives and become more involved.