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National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign
Phase 1 (Report No. 1)
3. Results
This section compares changes reported from the baseline site visits to the intermediate site visits (occurring 3 months later) in the 24 sites that participated as target and comparison sites during Phase I of the ONDCP Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. These changes relate to awareness of drug problems; attitudes, norms, and behavior regarding drugs; media influences on youth; and awareness and understanding of the Media Campaign. These findings are based on focus groups with youth and parents and interviews with community key informants.
Baseline findings, reported by youth, parents, and community key informants, describe the drug problems in all target and comparison sites before the Media Campaign was launched. Intermediate findings obtained from the same informants 3 months after the Media Campaign was launched are then presented.
Summary of baseline findings for youth -- Opportunities for drug use were increased by the easy availability of drugs through peers, siblings, and adult family members. Free-time and organized activities served contradictory functions: they protected youth by keeping them constructively engaged, but they also provided occasions for drug use. Although activities such as sports and TV watching were common among youth at all sites, the variation in what was available to and engaged in by youth in their free and structured time was affected by age, SES, ethnicity, and local community resources. Peer group attitudes, norms, and behaviors regarding drug use also varied by age and ethnicity, but across all groups youth gave the impression that drug use was common, starting by fifth grade. Youth varied in their assessment of why drug use starts and disagreed about the role of peer pressure. They often were unsure about the long-term physical effects of drug use but were well-aware of associated high-risk behaviors-especially drunk driving-and commented on the consequences of these behaviors in detail. Youth often said that norms have changed since their parents' generation, and they saw parents, and especially teachers, as ineffectual role models. Awareness of anti-drug use ads cut across grade levels and communities, with marginal differences between target and comparison sites; youth in target sites recalled a greater number of different ads. Comprehension of ad messages and reaction to them varied by age group, with younger children finding ads harder to understand and more troubling and teenagers being more knowledgeable but also more cynical. The chief sources of information on drugs were the school, home and family, the neighborhood, and the media; there were no discernible differences between target and comparison site findings. While youth saw school and parents as their primary sources for anti-drug messages, those were also sources of mixed messages and, indeed, of exposure to drug use. The neighborhood as a source varied by urban or non-urban location, with urban areas having more visible, public drug use. High school students reported many sources of stress, with school pressures, family conflicts, and peer relationships ranking highest. They disagreed on whether stress leads to drug use, but those who thought it did named cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana as the drugs used most often. The major media influences were TV and movies, followed by radio, music tapes and compact discs, and videos. All youth regarded the media as conveying mixed messages on drugs, noting that anti-drug ads and beer commercials often were aired back-to-back; they asserted that, in general, TV condoned drug use and violence. Youth were sensitive to the age-related features of ads and made suggestions for more effective use of media.
Summary of intermediate findings for youth -- In discussing their exposure to messages that encouraged drug use, youth mentioned heavy metal bands and rock stars popularized by the media, their peers (whose messages were deemed more powerful than those of the media), family (especially parents who used drugs themselves), and the neighborhood (especially inner-city street activity). In target sites, youth's awareness of anti-drug ads-their increasing frequency and variety-was nearly three times that of youth in comparison sites; older youth remembered more ads and understood them better than did younger youth. The impact of anti-drug ads varied by age group in both target and comparison sites: elementary-school-age children found the ads scary, and they worried that certain ads might persuade other children to experiment with drugs. Middle-school-age youth had mixed responses (i.e., responses ranging from scary to funny to ineffectual). High-school-age youth were most strongly influenced by graphic depictions of real situations and their negative consequences. Only a few of the youngest children had discussed the ads with parents, teachers, or peers. High school students at comparison sites had responses that were somewhat more negative to the anti-drug ads they were viewing in their areas (i.e., PSAs) than did target site youth. In sharing their perceptions of the effectiveness of anti-drug ads, youth in both target and comparison sites and across all age groups expressed mixed views and qualified responses; they saw the ads as being useful for some categories of people (e.g., those who had not started using) but not for others. Older youth concurred that peers were more influential than media messages. The ideas mentioned most often for new ads or improvements to existing ads concerned ad content: students of all ages recommended the use of "realistic" and "graphic" ads-those showing the effects of drug use on the brain and the body, as well as on friends and family. Youth suggested having more ads at times when they are watching TV and at places they frequent, using local people and scenery more often, and showing a wider variety of youth, in terms of their ethnicity, dress, and activities. Students' perceptions of the cultural relevance and credibility of ads suggested that ads should depict situations involving persons of different races and use ethnic actors to help viewers identify with the scenes being portrayed. Youth deemed media ownership less relevant than program content.
Summary of baseline findings for parents -- Parents' perceptions of children's knowledge of drugs closely paralleled youth's perceptions. Parents generally agreed that their children knew more about drugs and drug availability than they did, but they added that children were not adequately informed about the risks of drug use. When parents shared their perceptions of children's opportunities for using drugs, they generally saw organized activities as desirable protective factors and were unaware of how those activities provided venues for use. Parents in all sites agreed on the importance of their role in talking to their children about drugs; most parents believed that they took their role seriously but recognized that for some-especially single working parents-it was difficult and that it becomes more difficult as children grow older. In all sites, parents' perceptions of stress among high-school-age students closely paralleled those of the students themselves. Ethnic minority parents also noted the stress of being marginalized; many parents empathized with the level of stress on their children, which they believed was higher than the level of stress on people their own age. Parents saw the influence of TV ads on their children as mixed; some of the ads were useful tools for teaching their children but some parents switched channels because they did not want their children seeing graphic ads. They concurred with their children that corporate pro-drug commercials (especially those for beer and tobacco) overwhelmed the anti-drug messages, and they offered many constructive suggestions for messages that would more effectively reach their children.
Summary of intermediate findings for parents -- With few exceptions, parents in target sites reported a high level of awareness of anti-drug ads on television, including those in Spanish. Parents rarely remembered channel or sponsor identifications, but most had good recall and understanding of the ads' messages. Many parents appreciated the frequency and regularity of the ads. Comparison-site parents remembered fewer ads than did target-site parents but some expressed approval of their content. Regarding perceptions of the impact of anti-drug ads, parents in four target and four comparison sites said the ads had not changed their ideas but the ads had stimulated them to discuss drug use with their children. They appreciated the opportunity for better communication within the family. Regarding their perceptions of the effectiveness of anti-drug ads, many target-site parents said the ads could be helpful, especially those that focused on parent-child communication; others were skeptical that ads could change their thinking or compete with the pro-drug messages. Comparison-site parents were more pessimistic about the frequency and effectiveness of the ads than were target-site parents, and they also felt that anti-drug use ads could not effectively counter the media's glorification of drug use. They stressed the importance of parental involvement, communication, and responsibility in relaying anti-drug messages. Parents in almost all focus groups had ideas for new ads or improvements to existing ads that centered on being "realistic," "graphic," and showing the consequences of drug use. Additional suggestions were to include local youth and programs in ads; educate parents about the warning signs of drug use and about specific effects of drugs; highlight local anti-drug programs and youth successes; and help parents and youth communicate better. An Hispanic parent suggested that ads should show how drugs affect the whole family. Parents were wary of using famous personalities, perceiving that many had drug problems themselves. Parents' (and youth's) perceptions of the cultural relevance and credibility of anti-drug ads focused more on program content and presentation than on media outlet ownership. All parents advocated using ethnic minority role models and producing more ads in ethnic languages.
Summary of community findings at baseline site visits -- Community members at almost every site, in both urban and non-urban areas, reported a serious youth drug problem. Alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana were the drugs used most frequently, and all were considered to be readily available. Youth drug use was deemed to be increasing, with sites having distinctive patterns of favored drugs. Drug choice also varied by age group and SES; some sites had distinctive patterns of use that differed for urban and non-urban areas. Ethnic group differences in use and attitudes emerged at a number of sites. Overall, it appeared that youth were using drugs at increasingly earlier ages. Drug cartels and international syndicates were in evidence at several sites, and drug dealing was widespread. In nearly half the sites, some of the adults minimized the youth drug problem, in some cases viewing the use of marijuana or alcohol as a rite of passage or a fad. Parents' attitudes ranged from awareness to naïveté to permissiveness, partly because of their own current or previous drug use. Parents being away from home was a complicating factor in their children's use of drugs.
Among anti-drug activities, every site had local coalition efforts underway. D.A.R.E. was the most commonly cited outreach program; the GREAT program and the Safe and Drug Free Schools Program also were mentioned frequently. Many sites had in-school drug education components. Almost all had a variety of support groups, counseling services, and other outpatient treatment modalities; inpatient treatment, however, was not easy to obtain. Many sites operated local programs related to job readiness and leadership development; a number of sites had "youth protective" programs that had drug use prevention as one of their implicit goals. Recent key local events varied widely by site, from local and State policy efforts to highly publicized drug-related crimes and deaths. Several sites had their own local media activities before the ONDCP Media Campaign began; television, radio, billboards, and newspapers were the major media for disseminating anti-drug information to the public.
Summary of community findings at intermediate site visits -- Respondents from almost all sites reported changes in the contextual conditions in their communities that resulted in the drug problem remaining in the news, including arrests, stings, drug-related deaths (including child-abuse deaths) and drive-by shootings. There was a growing recognition that drugs are not confined to inner-city neighborhoods and that all youth are vulnerable; several sites targeted their increasing incidence of methamphetamine and heroin use. The Milton Creagh campaign was the main concurrent anti-drug activity in a number of sites. Several target sites and a few comparison sites have recently become involved in anti-drug initiatives, including prevention and treatment modalities and media campaigns; some of these are school-based while others are run through local churches and community organizations. In general, more anti-drug initiatives were found in target sites than in comparison sites; community rollout or other activities to support the ONDCP Media Campaign were reported in all but two target sites. Characteristics of the activities and responses to them varied by site; some were tied to other national programs (e.g., the Bill Moyers series) and others were generated locally. A number of target and comparison sites planned public education activities around those broadcasts. While reporting their community's response to the Media Campaign and expressing ideas for new ads, key informants stressed that ads should spare nothing in their portrayal of the destructive effects of drug use, feature local-not national-celebrities, be more realistic, have shock value, and portray positive parent-child interaction. Many ideas for improved placement of ads also were mentioned. In relating evidence they had learned from other members of their community and from their observations on the cultural relevance/credibility of anti-drug ads, informants were divided on the issue of minority-owned outlets; most said that the message mattered more than the outlet. Key informants favored portraying local drug issues and using local celebrities. Some minority informants felt that certain Media Campaign ads were culturally insensitive. Media informants indicated that most PSA decisions were based on commitment to local priorities, values, and current issues-in many cases, children and health. Almost all responses to the ads were positive; the few negative responses reflected a concern that the ads might encourage youth to try drugs. Every community had a sizable list of public service priorities, including education, literacy, violence, teen pregnancy, STD and HIV awareness, and infant mortality.
