MEDIA BLITZ IS EFFECTIVE AGAINST DRUGS

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Office of National Drug Control Policy has just
launched a national advertising campaign to stop illegal drug use aimed at
young people, 9 to 17 years of age, and the adults in their lives. After
test ads in 12 cities throughout the U.S., the campaign has gone national,
with regional adjustments for target audiences.

In some pilot cities, requests for information related to drug prevention
and treatment increased 500 percent after the ads appeared, and calls to a
national clearinghouse for anti-drug publications rose 300 percent.

An unprecedented $2 billion will be spent during the next five years in
government funds and matching monies pledged by the private sector. Congress
provided $195 million this year for the campaign, which represents but 1
percent of the total federal anti-drug effort. The $2 billion over the next
five years for the anti-drug campaign compares with the $7 billion yearly
that the alcohol and tobacco companies spend on advertising to promote their
products.

Corporations are willing to spend billions of dollars on advertising because
it works. The electronic media - television, radio, film, videos, Internet,
CD-ROM and multimedia (including print journalism augmented by color
photography) - constitute the strongest educational tools.

Such an initiative is necessary because, even though overall drug use
dropped by half in the last 15 years, teenage drug use rose steeply. Use
among 8th graders nearly tripled during the past five years. During this
period the number of anti-drug service announcements fell by 30 percent, and
many of those aired in time slots that attract few children.

In many areas of the country, drug-related arrests increased dramatically.
In 1997 more than half the males arrested for any crime in various cities
tested positive for drugs, as did large percentages of males arrested for
property offenses and violent acts. Drug-related admissions at emergency
rooms also increased in many locations.

The media initiative is only the beginning of a greater educational campaign
to reach youngsters. Documentaries about the history of drug use, the impact
of narcoterrorism on American foreign policy, and the link between drugs,
crime and the justice system can be supplemented by factual, dramatic shows
about the consequences of substance abuse. Young viewers would be more
likely to shun addictive substances if they were better informed about the
violence associated with this criminal industry and the health risk posed by
drugs.

Today's kids spend more time watching television than attending academic
classes. By high school graduation, youth have seen approximately 15,000
hours of TV compared to 12,000 hours spent in the classroom. Whether we like
it or not, electronic media have revolutionized the way people learn, much
as Gutenberg's printing press and movable type revolutionized Renaissance
Europe.

The idea is not to control young minds. Our purpose is to offer accurate
data that enables maturing individuals to make rational choices. Drugs are
wrong because they hurt people. We cannot stand by idly while toxic,
addictive substances endanger children, family, friends and neighborhoods.

Barry R. McCaffrey Director Office of National Drug Control Policy

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett