ADS TARGET TEENS

With a media budget of $150 million this year, the newest set of government
sponsored television ads are aimed at having even more of the "hard
hitting" effect President Bush wants on drug usage among teens.

The ads, from the Office of National Drug Control Policy, aimed at
teenagers and parents are poignant and hard to ignore. Their aim is to use
"real world examples of what can go wrong when they use marijuana."

According to Bush's 2003 National Drug Control Strategy released mid
February, teen drug use has recently been heading down for the first time
in a decade. But with 16 million Americans who use illegal drugs, and a
goal to reduce that by 10 percent in two years, 25 percent in five years,
it may still be too early to tell if the ads will have a drastic effect.

Brian Blake, deputy press secretary of the Office of National Drug Control
Policy in Washington said, past ad efforts aimed at teens did not have the
desired impact, but ads aimed at parents showed positive effects.

Some of the new ads directed toward teens demonstrate how marijuana use can
change behavior, resulting in tragic accidents, teen pregnancy and loss of
life. Some focus on parents, a key target according to students.

"If their parents are not involved, if no one is there to explain it to the
kids, it will be worthless, and once you are engulfed in [drugs], no amount
of advertising is going to do anything," said Rod Mitchell, a Cal State
Long Beach junior social work major celebrating twelve years of sobriety.
According to him, parents need to be involved.

One ad called "Pregnancy" is aimed at showing the link between marijuana
use and bad judgement. Some ads are graphic and violent. "Dummies," "Drive
Thru," and "Flash Forward" depict tragic consequences of what might happen
while under the influence of marijuana or ecstasy.

"The accident ad is very powerful," said Ricky Inguito, a junior in
business and accounting. "It contributes a lot to society. I think once
kids see it they are going to open up their minds to it. The smoking ones
seemed to work, why not these?"

While most students agree that drug use and abuse continues to be a problem
in the United States, some believe the ads are the wrong approach altogether.

"If kids repetitively see these commercials it can have a positive result.
But it should be noted that statistically the war on drugs has failed,"
Julie Henninger, senior, German major said.

"People should have the responsibility to decide for themselves whether or
not they chose to take drugs or not. The government waging a war on drugs
gives the impression that we the people are too stupid to take
responsibility for our own actions," Henninger said. "We certainly have the
freedom to choose to drink alcohol or not don't we? Why not have the same
freedom to choose to do drugs or not? We should have control over our own
bodies, not the government."

Bob Doyle, of the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws said
the ads are a waste of taxpayer money. While he does not support
legalization or believe marijuana is entirely harmless, he said attempting
to prohibit drugs is not going to work.

"The greatest proof prohibition doesn't work, is that we have already tried
it," he said.

"The idea that this administration is going to reverse the evolution of
humans is absurd. We are a society that drugs itself," he added, citing
wine, aspirin, nicotine and prescription drugs.

In President Bush's National Drug Control Strategy, he highlights social
pressure as a key to prevention for keeping kids off drugs.

"Like smoking and other social pathologies, drug use is a problem that
responds to social pressure. When we push against this problem, its gets
smaller," he said.

The strategy has three priorities, "Stopping Use Before it Starts,"
"Healing America's Drug Users" and "Disrupting the Market." The television
ads are part of the first priority, and include radio, print and banner ads
on Web sites. New ads will be pre tested and evaluated extensively for
effectiveness before airing.