NOT NECESSARILY FAN MAIL:

As part of the team that helped design the national youth anti-drug
campaign, I read your column (describing it as a waste of money) with great
interest. When I saw the updated frying pan ad, I, too, was very skeptical.
Yet, when the Annenberg School of Communications tested our ads, this ad
tested as the most effective with our target audience.

You and I are not the audience. Kids are the audience, and the research says
that this ad will work.

About half of the ads are not geared to kids; they are geared toward
parents. There is extensive evidence that kids DO listen to parents on
issues like drugs. The problem is that many parents don't believe that their
kids are affected by drugs. Our parent ads (also tested) are designed to
increase this dialogue.

As the University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future studies (and other
research) have demonstrated, ads aimed at youth attitudes will decrease drug
use if there is a long-term and concerted campaign.

In sum, the media campaign is far more thought-out than you might have been
led to believe.

Chuck Blanchard

Chief Counsel White House Office of National Drug Control Policy

Via e-mail

Well, I have to admit this is the fastest response I've ever received from a
White House office. Come to think of it, it may be the only one. So let's
give Chuck credit for being on his toes. He also invites those interested in
the campaign strategy to check it out at: www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov. I
wish the campaign well but am still unconvinced this is the best allocation
of resources.

I think there are two fundamental flaws (in the new anti-drug ad campaign).
1. As consumers, we are conditioned to do (buy) something that an ad
references, not to avoid doing it. 2. Teenagers and young adults are often
reflexively opposed to any authoritative message, especially (one that says)
not to do something. I'm sure that's why in large measure that the `Just say
no' campaign failed.

Carl Peters

Via e-mail

``Just say no'' would appear to be the opposite of ``Just do it.'' And yet
the former is about drugs, the latter a shoe company. In time, I think all
those slogans hang out there as relatively meaningless jargon.

Write Jim Trotter at the San Jose Mercury News, 750 Ridder Park Drive, San
Jose, Calif. 95190; call (408) 920-5024 or e-mail to jtrotter@sjmercury.com.

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett