PUBLIC EDUCATION WITH A TWIST: OFFICE OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL
POLICY REACHES YOUTH IN UNCONVENTIONAL WAYS

ONDCP's National Media Campaign Sponsors Live Webcast Of Silverchair Concert

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to reach America's
young people with important anti-drug messages, the Office of National
Drug Control Policy's (ONDCP) National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign
today announced its sponsorship of seven online concerts on the World
Wide Web, scheduled to take place over the next several months. The
first concert, featuring popular Australian rock band Silverchair,
will be held on Monday, February 15th at 8:00 p.m. EST. All of the
concerts will be broadcast at http://www.sonicnet.com.

"In order to truly be successful in reducing youth drug use in
America, we realize that we have to reach children and teens in new
and unexpected ways," said John Hale, Deputy Director of ONDCP's Media
Campaign. "We recognize that many of the old ways of conducting
public education campaigns are no longer effective, and that the
Internet is an invaluable tool for reaching people. Today's
sponsorship is representative not only of the media campaign's larger
interactive strategy but also of our overall dedication to delivering
positive messages through all effective mediums. Sponsoring online
concerts is just one way we are creatively engaging America's young
people and helping them to understand the realities of drug use."

In order to maximize the effectiveness of the sponsorship, a online
mechanism has been developed exclusively for ONDCP. The mechanism
opens a new browser window and serves as the gateway to the concert.
It delivers eight different anti-drug messages on a rotating basis.
This area also provides a link to ProjectkNOw, ONDCP's teen targeted
site, as well as band information and a link to ONDCP's online
celebrity musician public service announcements. Once they have
passed through the ONDCP gateway, concert goers will be able to watch
the band perform live on their computer screens. SOURCE Office of
National Drug Control Policy