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National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign
Phase 1 (Report No. 1)
4. CASE STUDIES
Atlanta, Georgia
RW 08 Changed heading numbering to reflect that this file was changed from Section 5 to Section 4. No comments were attached to this file for previous versions. (Note: because of the change, the versions in Old Versions are out of synch. This version has been saved as 08-even though previous versions of the old Section 5 went only up to 03-so that Section 4, version 04 would not be overwritten.) MB 09 Initial edit up to top of p. 36. 7/27/98. MB Version 10 Continuation of initial edit (up to top of p. 91). MB 10 Initial edit completed 7/29/98. LCC 11 Add revisions from Michael P. 7/30/98; JW 12; RW 13 Incorporated site visitors' comments/edits and corrected as many ad names as identifiable, and performed globals on youth's, Media Campaign, meth, teens. RW 14 Keyed in Jim's answers to AQs and did a spell-check. --
Two site visits have been made to Atlanta. The first baseline visit occurred during the week of December 8-12, 1997. The first followup visit took place during the week of March30 to April 3, 1998.
Memphis, Tennessee, was selected as a comparison site for Atlanta because both cities have similar demographic and community characteristics. The quantitative data collected from in-school surveys completed by students in both Atlanta and Memphis also showed similar patterns at baseline. These patterns, displayed in Exhibit 4-1 at the end of Section 4, further demonstrate that Memphis constitutes a reasonable comparison site for Atlanta. Exhibit 4-2 (at the end of Section 4) summarizes youth, parent, and community findings for both sites.
The remainder of this report will describe data collected in Atlanta at baseline and at the first followup visit and key findings collected in Memphis during the first followup visit.
Baseline Picture
Ongoing Anti-Drug Activities in the Community
Due to a large and growing drunk driving problem, the Georgia Legislature recently passed a l997 "Teenage Adult Driver Responsibility Act." This law provides for stiffer sentences and punishments for those caught driving while impaired by alcohol consumption. It also establishes a graduated licensing system for teenagers eligible for driving privileges and requires that youth remain in school to become licensed drivers.
A local media campaign in 1997, spearheaded by the Metropolitan Atlanta Council on Alcohol and Drugs (MACAD), targeted alcohol companies that market their products using Halloween images. The campaign has used radio and newspaper coverage, and more than l00 billboards in the metropolitan area in its effort to counter the widespread alcohol advertisements that condone alcohol use and link it with youth.
Another local coalition, Mission New Hope, teamed with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America (PDFA) and the United Way of Atlanta in l997 to air a series of anti-drug advertisements on local television stations. Nearly 2,000 drug advertisements appeared on local television in l997. Each ad was tagged with a telephone line for a United Way Information and Resource Center. Calls were categorized according to type and were referred to appropriate centers or programs depending on the needs of each caller. During the period when the ads were run, the United Way received a total of 950 substance abuse-related calls. Mission New Hope is currently developing anti-drug ads, targeting pregnant women who drink, which it expects to run in late l998.
Over the past 4years, the State of Georgia downsized its statewide drug prevention unit from approximately 12 positions to a single position. Local substance abuse experts report that the resulting lack of staff has caused Atlanta's prevention efforts to lag behind other cities. As support has dwindled for prevention efforts, local grassroots programs have had difficulty working collaboratively to address area problems and have diligently guarded their turf and resources. In December l997, state prevention representatives reported an effort had begun to recruit a new prevention chief.
This lack of leadership at the State level is echoed in a National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD) report that noted "the inadequate statewide and local advocacy for substance abuse services and that Georgia's new regions have not consistently emphasized substance abuse service needs" (State Resources and Services Related to Alcohol and Other Drug Problems for FY l995, NASADAD, pp. l78-l83).
During the baseline site visit in Atlanta, however, the research team did encounter a small but active group of specialists from the areas of prevention, criminal justice, and corrections who are connected to the drug problem and beginning to work together to fill the gap left by declining State involvement in prevention. They plan to lobby the State legislature to generate greater interest and support for this field.
Trends in the Atlanta Community
Atlanta has enjoyed rapid growth and major revitalization, in part because it hosted the l997 Summer Olympics. Many areas throughout the city were torn down or renovated to make room for the crowds and facilities associated with the Olympics. The police force was increased and its vigilance reduced crime in most areas of the city.
Despite these efforts, a very high percentage of Atlanta's youth have been victims of violence. A l997 Georgia Department of Education survey reported that 7l percent of 5th graders and 6l to 65 percent of middle school and high school students had been victims of violence in the past year. This pattern was corroborated by youth participating in baseline focus groups. Youth in the urban focus groups commented on the slow response by police to crimes in their neighborhoods. Non-urban youth appeared to be better protected from the random threat of violence.
According to Drug Use Forecasting reports and Uniform Crime reports, cocaine is a major problem in the Atlanta area, with approximately 60 percent of arrestees testing positive for this drug. Drug use has also contributed to a rapidly rising number of emergency room drug mentions for the Atlanta area throughout the l990s.
Open-air drug markets in Atlanta and resulting high urban arrest rates have made drug use and trafficking appear to be primarily an urban problem. However, the drug trade (both visible and invisible) and its associated crime and violence are on the rise in many of the Non-urban locales. Informants reported that the incidence of youth substance abuse is as high in the affluent suburbs as it is in the urban Atlanta communities.
A great deal of attention continues to be placed on Atlanta's problem with alcohol abuse. The local newspaper, the Atlanta Constitution, published a series of articles on underage drinking in January l997.
Drug Awareness and Behavior Reported by Youth and Parents
Focus groups were conducted with Atlanta youth and parents. The majority of the 4th-6th graders participating in the focus groups were African American. These youngsters learned about drugs from a variety of sources including school programs, teachers, television commercials, parents, and their neighbors. Children in this age group reported that they do pay attention to the messages they receive from school and other prevention programs. At the same time, they admitted to feeling strong peer pressure regarding the use of drugs. Three of the sixteen youth related horrifying stories involving drugs in their homes or neighborhoods. Two of the children had family members who had suffered violent deaths as a result of drugs. All youth in this age group reported that they talk about drugs a lot with their friends. They described a lot of drug-use playacting in school (i.e., shaving chalk to resemble cocaine or cutting up dried glue to use as pretend "rock").
Students in the 7th-9th grades reported that a lot of their peers are involved in gangs. They reported on the high stress they experienced going to school: "Kids bring guns to school...and the metal detectors are not used until the end of school." Non-urban youth in 7th-9th grade noted that their primary source of information about drugs comes from personal and family experiences. They also learn about drugs at school and at the Boys and Girls' Club. The urban 7th-9th graders learn about drugs from their friends, teachers, and parents.
The majority of these youth had either used or sold drugs, or knew someone who had. Students in both 7th-9th-grade focus groups identified "blunt" (i.e., marijuana or marijuana laced with cocaine inside a cigar), cigarettes, and marijuana as their drugs of choice. They also commented on the easy access they have to alcohol. They said that it is not unusual for older youth to buy alcohol for middle school students.
The drugs of choice among 10th-12th graders differed depending on whether youth lived in the central city or the suburbs. The central city youth identified marijuana, "powder" (uncooked crack-cocaine), and crack-cocaine as drugs that are commonly available. The non-urban high school students reported cigarettes, marijuana, and alcohol as the drugs most frequently used by their peers.
Parents participating in the urban focus groups reported that youth in their neighborhoods frequently use marijuana and cocaine-laced marijuana. These parents did not consider alcohol to be a problem among their youth. Non-urban parents identified "alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs" as the problem among youth in their communities. Non-urban parents also were aware of youth using LSD and Ritalin.
Urban parents were aware of open street markets, neighborhood crack houses, and the role that drugs play in the lives of their children. A confusing factor for many youth is the fact that some parents depend on their children's income from drug dealing. Parents also are hesitant to discipline their children for drug use because they fear the involvement of official authorities in their family life.
Non-urban parents reported a concern for being educated about the dangers of drugs. They repeatedly stressed the need to talk with their children early on, before the children are faced with deciding whether or not to engage in drug-related activity. Non-urban parents disagreed about the level of detail that should be shared with young children regarding the harmfulness of drug use.
All parents emphasized the need for more information, education, and other support for parents if they are to be effective in helping their children resist drug use.
Community Drug Problems as Perceived by Community Key Informants
The key informants interviewed all agreed that youth drug use is a very serious problem in the City of Atlanta and its surrounding suburbs. They noted that while statistics may focus on the problem in the inner city, the drug problem among youth in the suburbs is also serious.
Community respondents identified the following drugs as being commonly abused by youth: marijuana, alcohol, LSD and "designer drugs," inhalants, tobacco, crack-cocaine, and methamphetamine and other amphetamines. They also noted that alcohol use and abuse is rampant among youth in the Atlanta area.
There was general consensus among community representatives that the age of first use of drugs was decreasing to approximately l2 years of age. Those working in the prevention field are particularly concerned about parental permissiveness toward youth drug use. They recounted stories of parents underwriting keg parties for teenagers in an effort to provide a safe drug alternative and to minimize potential dangers from drinking and driving. They also noted that many of the area's parents are "baby boomers" who grew up in a generation of high drug use and experimentation. These parents, particularly those living in the suburbs, are less inclined to be informed about the dangers of drug use and to discuss drugs with their teenagers. Denial is a recurring theme among this group of parents. Urban parents were described as being more aware of drug-use trends, less tolerant of their teenagers using drugs, and more involved with local prevention efforts. Repeatedly, community informants stressed the need to educate and inform parents about the drug-use patterns of the area's teenagers and to enable them to have effective conversations with their children about the dangers associated with using drugs.
Awareness of Anti-Drug Advertising Prior to the ONDCP Media Campaign
Middle school and high school students reported seeing some anti-drug ads, primarily those focused on alcohol use. Although they remembered seeing ads and recalled their messages, they stated that the ads would not influence their opinions about drugs or their decisions to use drugs. The ads most often recalled by youth used either famous athletes or General Colin Powell to deliver the message.
Community representatives reported that anti-drug ads are most effective with younger children and that teenagers do not internalize such messages. Few of the ads they had seen targeted parents. They believed that the anti-drug messages need to be reframed to help parents and youth to talk with each another. They also recommended employing the same approach used with literacy and domestic violence issues: "Emphasize healthy life styles and community building as important factors in combating these issues."
Intermediate Findings Reported After Initiation of the ONDCP Media Campaign
Recent Local Events Affecting Awareness/Attitudes Toward Drugs
At the end of the intermediate site visit, a l9-year-old was convicted of the premeditated murder of his mother. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution quoted the prosecutor as saying that the youth killed his mother "because she was tough on him, demanding that he improve his grades and stop peddling marijuana."
Other recent newsworthy events included a March cocaine-possession arrest valued at more than a million dollars, and several other drug arrests in surrounding counties. Two respondents also recalled brutal murders connected to drug trafficking in the suburbs.
Youths' and Parents' Reactions to the ONDCP Media Campaign
Both urban and non-urban 4th-6th graders remembered seeing several ads on television. These included the following: Burbs, Frying Pan, Drowning, and ads described as "a father and son at a fence" and "a boy on a couch." The urban children seemed to lose the focus of the message even when they recalled seeing the ads. Non-urban children reported seeing the ads on both cable and network TV stations.
Non-urban elementary youth remembered hearing two radio ads, one described as "nah" and one in which someone is playing a guitar and repeatedly saying "stupid." They found these ads amusing.
Non-urban middle school students reported seeing a number of new ads on television, including Free Ride, Drowning, Alex/Straight A's, Long Way Home, and one described as "a father and son at a fence." Some of the students said that these ads made them think about the seriousness of drug use. Others disagreed, claiming that young people know the dangers of drugs and must make personal choices, and that ads cannot counteract the reasons that young people use drugs. Other 7th-9th graders said that the issue for them is not whether to use drugs, but whether to sell them: "It's all about the money."
High school students in both the urban and non-urban focus groups reported seeing the following ads: ads depicting a father and son at a fence and boy on couch, Frying Pan, Girl Interview, Girlfriend, Layla, and ads depicting a girl diving into an empty pool and a ballet dancer falling down. These teenagers understood the meaning of the messages and reported that they had seen them more frequently in "prime time" during the last few months. They also commented that the ads had not changed the way they think about drugs. As one youth commented: "If they're gonna do it, they're gonna do it." Another youth said "We already know it's bad for us." Some of these youth said that they change the channel when the ads come on and that others laugh about them. Only one non-urban elementary boy had seen a billboard advertisement.
Parents reported seeing Frying Pan, Drowning, and an ad depicting a father and son at a fence. Parents reported that the ads had been on regularly and that they had seen more ads in the past 3 months than in the previous 2 years. Parents suggest using victims of drug abuse in ads, using children and teenagers to deliver anti-drug messages, and depicting the negative consequences of abuse like a "bad trip" or "what it's like in jail."
Parents reported that the ads are beginning to get their attention. However, in general they were skeptical about the ads inspiring other parents to talk with their children about drugs. They feel that anti-drug advertisements will not affect parents' thinking or encourage them to talk to their children about drugs. Ads are perceived as unable to overcome the multitude of factors that influence youths' use of drugs (parents' inability to communicate, youths' feeling that they have few other choices). For example, an urban parent said "drugs may be the least-talked-about thing in the home." Parents living in non-urban Atlanta reported that most parents do not believe their children use drugs so they do not pay attention to anti-drug ads.
Key Informants' Responses to the ONDCP Media Campaign
Most of the community informants interviewed reported that they do not watch television regularly. Therefore, they did not think they could comment accurately on major changes in ads shown in the past few months. However, when probed about which ads they did remember seeing, community informants recalled hearing or seeing a Media Campaign ad (l4 of l6) on television or radio, and several recalled local newspaper ads or billboards.
Sixteen different ads were described, and community members praised several of them. One prevention worker gave the father and son at the fence ad very high marks, saying it prompted him to talk with his own son about drugs. Another service provider had heard several youth in his program discussing this same ad. Two other service providers thought the "I learned it from you" ad was very effective in helping parents to understand the consequences of their own behavior. The Burbs ad was praised because it helped publicize the drug problem in non-urban areas.
Community informants suggested that TV and radio ads will only be effective if they are aired in combination with prevention efforts in schools and with parents. They also believed that the ads are potentially effective with younger children who have never used drugs and with parents targeted as role models, but will be less effective with teenagers (who often react to peer pressure and believe that they can experiment with drugs without experiencing repercussions).
Aside from the kickoff ceremony for the Media Campaign in January 1998, community informants did not know of any local or regional efforts to support or supplement the Media Campaign.
Media Representatives' Reactions to the ONDCP Media Campaign
Representatives of two television stations report their stations are involved in a number of community public education efforts. Neither television station had received additional anti-drug ads from other sponsors in connection with the Media Campaign, and neither was aware of any other activity to support the Media Campaign.
One television station had recently received a new reel from PDFA and was showing Drowning, Long Way Home, Burbs, and ads described as "how to talk to your kids" and "average kid." They chose not to air another ad showing an addict slumped by a toilet. They were not aware of any response to the new ads they were airing.
The general manager of another television station in Atlanta airing the Media Campaign ads described the ads as "fabulous." The public affairs director liked the ads because they were "hard-hitting" and the station frequently showed an ad described as "a boy on a couch" and Free Ride. Both stations reported that the Media Campaign was having no negative effect on broadcasting PSAs for other causes.
Followup Findings in Comparison Site of Memphis, Tennessee
This section summarizes significant changes that occurred in Memphis between the baseline site visit conducted January 5-9, 1998, and the followup visit on April 13-17.
Focus group participants indicated that marijuana is now easier for minors to obtain than alcohol since liquor stores are now checking I.D. more frequently.
Regional prevention services have become more coordinated and have shifted from private operations to an agency under the Tennessee Department of Health.
Some key informants reported seeing more prevention ads airing, but doubted that ads would have any effect on changing attitudes and behavior if they weren't supplemented by increased interaction with role models.
The most frequently cited local effort is the Shelby County Sheriff's Office drug prevention campaign, initiated five years ago. The campaign features Anfernee Hardaway, a nationally recognized athlete from the local community in a series of anti-drug TV and radio messages.
In summary, there are many non-ONDCP sponsored activities and local public health/service campaigns currently underway, but there was little evidence to demonstrate that these efforts are producing the desired results.
Summary of Intermediate Findings
At Atlanta, one of l2 sites targeted by ONDCP, youth recall of the Media Campaign ads was very high several months after the Media Campaign had been initiated. Youth of all ages recalled specific ads on TV. Recall of radio and billboard advertisements was less common. Parents remembered seeing three specific ads on TV and commented that they had seen more anti-drug ads in the past 3 months than in the previous 2 years. Key community informants were also aware of the new Media Campaign, and a few of the prevention workers and service providers offered positive reactions to two specific ads, the father and son at the fence and the Burbs ads.
In Memphis, which was not targeted by the Media Campaign, there is little awareness of any national anti-drug campaign.
These preliminary findings suggest that youth, parents, and community representatives are aware of the anti-drug ads included in the Media Campaign and reported seeing these ads frequently. However, there is still little evidence of any supportive activities taking place in the community. In fact, no community representative reported knowledge of or involvement in any local or regional efforts to support or supplement the Media Campaign since its inception in January.
