CURB TEEN DRUG USE? THINK LOCAL

Time and again, parents and teens alike identify the drug problem as
one of the top issues facing teens. Parents say they wish they knew
better what to say to their kids about drugs, and teens report that
parents are one of the biggest influences on their decisions when it
comes to using drugs.

Given these facts, the work of the Partnership for a Drug-Free
America is invaluable to the national effort to reduce the demand for
illegal drugs.

Using messages created by some of the best minds in the advertising
business, the Partnership uses the power of the mass media to
"unsell" drugs to kids, and to give parents guidance that can help
them keep their kids drug free.

Research has shown the ads work: A study at the University of
Kentucky found kids exposed to heavy doses of anti-drug ads are 26.7
percent less likely to use marijuana. Since a federally funded
campaign started giving Partnership ads increased visibility, teen
drug use has dropped, and teen drug attitudes have changed markedly
for the better.

All this is on a national scale, but the drug problem also needs to
be addressed on a local level. That's why cities and states across
the country have set up local alliance programs modeled on the
Partnership's national work.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free Mobile was established in June 2000
to combat this problem head-on. Our Partnership is united to help
reduce drug and alcohol abuse in Mobile through advertising,
marketing, communications and public relations campaigns in
conjunction with local media outlets. Our media campaign is designed
to:

Shape attitudes about the use of illegal drugs.

Support the efforts of all community anti-drug coalitions.

Communicate the tremendous value of treatment programs available
within the community.

But the drug problem in Alabama is not limited to Mobile. It is
possible to prevent drug use by teens statewide, and the Partnership
for a Drug-Free America and the Partnership for a Drug-Free Mobile
have provided the state with excellent models. It's time for Alabama
to build on those models at the state level.

GEORGE E. KRIETEMEYER
Director
Partnership for a Drug-Free Mobile
Mobile