1.3 Phase I Intermediate Evaluation

Testing the Anti-Drug Message (Report No. 1) is intended only to provide preliminary results of ONDCP's National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, 3 months after its implementation. The intermediate Phase I evaluation results are based on an analysis of qualitative data from site visits to the 12 Phase I target sites and 12 comparison sites along with media monitoring data collected from these sites. Qualitative data were collected at baseline for Phase I of the Media Campaign (December 1997) and again midway through Phase I (June 1998). It should be noted that survey data were not collected at the interim Phase I time period and thus were not available for use in this report.

This report provides (1) a description of the methodology employed in the Phase I evaluation; (2) findings from youth, parent, and community focus groups and key informant interviews conducted at baseline; (3)findings reported by the same groups 3 months into the Media Campaign; and (4) media monitoring conducted prior to implementation and throughout the first 3 months of the Media Campaign. Initial responses to the Media Campaign and lessons learned from early results are presented based on a cross-site analysis. In addition, case studies are included that report preliminary findings from each of the 12 sites targeted by the Phase I Media Campaign.