4. CASE STUDIES

Houston, Texas

Two site visits have been made to Houston, Texas. The baseline visit occurred the week of December 15-19, 1997. An interim site visit was conducted 3 months later the week of March 23-27, 1998.

Dallas, Texas, was selected as a comparison site for Houston, Texas, because both sites have similar demographic and community characteristics. The quantitative data collected from in-school surveys completed by students in both Houston and Dallas also showed similar patterns at baseline. These patterns, displayed in Exhibit 4-1 at the end of Section 4, further demonstrate that Dallas constitutes a reasonable comparison site for Houston. Exhibit 4-7 summarizes youth, parent, and community findings for both sites.

This report describes key data collected in Houston at baseline and 3 months later at the followup site visit. Certain key data collected in Dallas at the followup site visit is also presented.

Baseline Picture

Ongoing Anti-Drug Activities in the Community

There were several drug prevention media efforts reported in Houston. However, most key informants mentioned that there are not sufficient drug prevention media efforts in place, and those that do exist are not sustained over time.

Houston ranked 3rd among 75 major media markets in 1996 in the total number of anti-drug PSAs it aired. Houston Crackdown, the Mayor's official community anti-drug coalition, maintains a close relationship with local radio, television and print media staff and serves as regional media liaison for the Partnership for a Drug-Free America (PDFA). The month of October has been designated "Drug Prevention Month" by the city of Houston. During October, Houston Crackdown coordinates the city's "Drug Prevention Month" activities, which include planning community events and ensuring that the campaign receives substantial media coverage on local radio and television and in print media. Houston Crackdown in collaboration with area schools, Federal and local law enforcement agencies, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department and Zoological Gardens also sponsors Red Ribbon Week in October. Red Ribbon Week, which honors the late Enrique Camarena, a DEA agent slain in the line of duty, includes a myriad of drug prevention activities such as a fun day in the park for youth to celebrate being drug free.

The Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) local Demand Reduction Office in conjunction with the Greater Houston Community Foundation sponsors a "Drugs Kill" campaign that was launched in 1996 and targets youth and parents. Media utilized by the campaign include PSAs, billboard ads, T-shirts, newspaper ads, bumper stickers, and posters. The print materials are distributed via schools and community organizations.

The Houston Independent School District's (HISD) Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program is actively involved in drug prevention efforts. These efforts include sponsoring an anti-drug billboard contest for HISD students. Four billboards designed by HISD students are selected and displayed throughout the city for one year. HISD also uses Channel 1, a closed circuit television channel, to air anti-drug programs in schools.

The National Inhalant Prevention Coalition sponsors National Inhalant Awareness Week, a media-based, community-level program that takes place the third week of March. The campaign is designed to increase understanding regarding the risks and dangers of inhalant use among youth and adults. The program involves youth, schools, media, police departments, health organizations, and civic groups.

Houston's Drug-Free Business Initiative (HDFBI) sponsors Drug-Free Workplace Week and collaborates with businesses throughout the city to provide employees with drug prevention education via print materials and a number of activities. HDFBI also co-sponsors volunteer-driven conferences with the Employee Assistance Professional Association and other drug-free workplace events.

In addition to those previously mentioned, there are a variety of public and private organizations who have developed and implemented drug prevention and intervention programs targeting youth in general and at-risk populations in particular. Some of these programs are provided through government agencies as well as grassroots community-based organizations. These include interfaith programs (e.g., Families Under Urban and Social Attack (FUUSA), Somebody Cares Houston, Good Gangs); civic organizations (the Elks Drug Awareness Program); drug prevention collaboratives/coalitions (Houston Crackdown; Children at Risk; Houston's Drug-Free Business Initiative); school-based programs (HISD's Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program; Kick Drugs Out of America; Police Athletic League; D.A.R.E.); nonprofit agencies (Houston Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse; Prevention VI Resource Center); community-based programs (MLK, Jr. Community Center, Chicano Family Service Center, GANO, Shape Community Center, Boys and Girls' Clubs, YMCA; AAMA; Youth Advocates); law enforcement programs (D.A.R.E., DEA); and treatment programs (Montrose Counseling Center).

Trends in the Houston Community

Located on the southeast border of Texas and 50 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico, Houston is one of the larger seaports in the United States, which makes it a major destination for drug trafficking. Houston's shipping ports, airports, railroad lines, and major interstate highways make it a transshipment point for all types of heroin from sources around the world. Houston's proximity to Mexico makes it a dominant transshipment point for Mexican and Colombian cocaine. The international airport in Houston is also a major port for the distribution of drugs in and out of the city. The border of Mexico and the coastline along the Gulf of Mexico have been the major routes for the transshipment of illicit substances into Texas, and trafficking has increased with NAFTA: several trucks cross the Texas border each day and few of them are searched; thus, there is an influx of illegal substances on Texas interstate highways.

At the time of the baseline site visit to Houston, the mayoral election had recently been held and resulted in the election of a new Mayor, Lee Brown. Mr. Brown, former Chief of Police in Houston and national "Drug Czar," defeated former Mayor Bob Lanier. Many of the key informants as well as focus group participants (youth and adults) expressed support for Mayor Brown and were hopeful that he would enhance the local drug policy, strategies, and prevention efforts in place and implement new efforts as well.

Houston has a diverse population consisting predominantly of whites. The inner city areas of Houston are mostly occupied by Hispanics and African Americans although there is a significant number of whites residing in the inner city. Most informants from both urban and non-urban locales agreed that the drug problem in Houston is not just an "inner-city problem" and that there is a "real and identifiable" drug problem in the non-urban areas as well.

According to several key informants, the Texas is a "big drinking state." Alcohol consumption, particularly by males (youth and adults), is not out of the norm for most Texans and, according to one key informant, young males are even coerced/encouraged by adult males and females alike to drink "to prove their manliness." The informants correlated this to the concept of alcohol and tobacco serving as "gateway" drugs that lead to the use of illegal substances.

When asked about recent events that might have affected awareness or attitudes regarding drugs, several respondents mentioned the death of Hilary Farias, a very intelligent and athletic high school student in LaPorte, an area within Houston's MSA, who died from an overdose of GHB that was slipped into her drink at a party.

Drug Awareness and Behavior Reported by Youth and Parents

Separate focus groups were held with youth and parents. Youth and parents generally agreed that youth are quite knowledgeable about drugs. Both urban and non-urban 4th-6th graders indicated that they obtain their information from school-based programs (D.A.R.E., Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities, and PAL), parents (mostly mothers in the urban area), and television. However, most of the urban children said that they do not stop to watch the ads on television. The urban youth also indicated that they learn about drugs through movies, church, older youth, peers, siblings, and teachers.

The 7th-9th graders reported that they obtained their information from school-based programs and friends. The urban youth in this age group reported that they learn about illegal drugs mostly in their neighborhoods. However, they did admit that they learn about the dangers and risks of using illegal drugs from their parents, teachers, school-based programs and television. Several non-urban youth indicated that they do not discuss drugs among themselves. Most of the urban and non-urban youth said that the ads they see on television make them think about not wanting to use drugs. One non-urban student stated that the ads make her "want to talk to people who do drugs and tell them about the dangers of illegal drugs."

The urban 10th-12th graders received their drug knowledge from witnessing drug use in their neighborhoods, as well as from television, parents, and a coach (mentioned by one student). The non-urban 10th-12th graders learned about drugs from school courses (health class), parents, and friends. A few of the non-urban students mentioned learning about drugs from television. One student said that there needs to be more anti-drug ads on television, "especially now that parents don't have enough time to really talk to their children due to their need to work all the time."

Urban parents emphasized that their children learn about drugs from witnessing drug activity and observing the consequences firsthand. They also mentioned that children learn about drugs from their friends and school. Non-urban parents (mostly Hispanic) noted that their children know about illegal drugs through friends and school. Both urban and non-urban parents voiced the concern that parents do not discuss drugs with their children as much as they should.

Community Drug Problems as Perceived by Community Key Informants

Most key informants perceived drug use and abuse to be a significant problem among youth in the Houston area. The most commonly abused drugs mentioned were alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and inhalants-in that order. Tobacco and alcohol were perceived by most informants as gateway drugs to harder drug use. According to the majority of the informants interviewed, African American youth primarily abuse alcohol, marijuana, and crack-cocaine; Hispanics predominantly abuse alcohol, marijuana, inhalants, and cocaine; and whites abuse alcohol, marijuana, and designer drugs. Some informants indicated that marijuana use among youth is on the rise and attribute the increase to its accessibility. One informant also mentioned the use of Rohypnol among certain ethnic groups.

According to the majority of key informants, elementary school children experiment with mostly alcohol and tobacco, while a few experiment with inhalants. Middle school students tend to use alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana. High school students tend to use alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana (in various forms); however, at this age, some youth also begin to experiment with and use harder drugs such as cocaine, crack-cocaine, heroin, and designer drugs (used mostly by youth from wealthier neighborhoods). All of the key informants agreed that drugs are easily accessible to middle school and high school youth, mostly in their neighborhoods (via peers and older siblings), and sometimes even in school. However, the informants agreed that elementary school youth have less access to drugs at school and that drugs are more accessible to them at home or via older siblings.

Most key informants indicated that the drug problem is as prevalent in the suburbs as it is in the inner city. The difference in drug use among youth in urban and non-urban areas is that non-urban youth and parents hide drug use by doing it "behind closed doors." The majority of informants agreed that drug use/abuse among youth does not vary with ethnicity; they attributed differences to socioeconomic status, instead. Several informants mentioned that alcohol abuse is more prevalent among youth in the suburbs due to the accessibility of alcohol in their homes (i.e., in their parents bars). One informant stated that "it is not unusual for some parents to allow beer drinking by underage youth." A couple of key informants also mentioned that methamphetamine is "making a comeback" in Houston, particularly among middle- to upper-class white youth. They also said methamphetamine is popular in the club scene.

Most informants acknowledged a lack of drug prevention and intervention education for parents. One informant stated that "we need to educate and empower parents so that they are able to prevent and/or deal with their children's drug use/abuse." Parents' tolerance of children's alcohol and tobacco use and their denial of children's drug use are huge contributing factors to the problem, particularly in affluent and middle-class non-urban areas.

Awareness of Anti-Drug Advertising Prior to the ONDCP Media Campaign

During the baseline site visit key informants were asked to describe any anti-drug ads they remembered on TV, the radio, or in local newspapers and magazines. Although most informants mentioned that they felt the media has an important role in prevention efforts, they also felt that the media's role was not being fulfilled. All of the informants mentioned that the media is providing "mixed messages" and one informant cited a Murphy Brown episode involving the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes as an example.

Several informants recalled seeing or hearing anti-drug ads on TV or radio. Those mentioned were ads sponsored by PDFA and Houston Crackdown, which included: friends don't let friends drive drunk, the fried egg ad, a Spanish language ad regarding a teacher telling a young boy to take care of himself and go straight home after school, and an ad stating "If you smoke marijuana, there are things you cannot do" while showing an athlete and a college student. One informant indicated seeing an ad that was sponsored by Nike. Several informants mentioned hearing ads on the radio during Drug Prevention Month in October. A few of the informants mentioned hearing radio ads during the Drugs Kill campaign sponsored by DEA. Only one informant remembered seeing a newspaper ad sponsored by the Texas Prevention Partnership during Drug Prevention Month in October.

Most of the informants felt the ads had not caught the attention of the audience because they were not shown enough or because they were shown too late at night or in the middle of programming that few people watch. Some of the informants indicated that there is a myriad of media advertising during specific times of the year (e.g., Drug Prevention Month, Alcohol Awareness Week, etc.), but they notice an immediate decrease in anti-drug ads once these events or campaigns end. The informants believed that the ads that they had seen or heard could definitely be effective in raising awareness.

Suggestions for improving the ads' effectiveness were provided by most of the informants and were as follows. The ads need to be of good quality, and they need to shown more frequently during prime time and on major networks. The ads also need to consist of more than just slogans and should demonstrate simple, real-life situations, and ads need to demonstrate parents caring about their children to touch viewers' emotions.

Although ads can be effective, to have a greater impact they should be part of a more comprehensive campaign involving all interested parties (e.g., public entities, grassroots organizations, parents, churches, etc.). The ads need to be sustained over time and should be culturally sensitive and tailored to target populations (i.e., age, race, and gender appropriate). The ads should demonstrate and relate why children use drugs instead of just providing messages that tell them not to use drugs. As well, the ads should be tagged with referral and contact information so that people know how and where to access additional resources, and, furthermore, anti-drug ads should be placed at the beginning of every movie, video game, CD, and music video to target middle school and high school youth.

Intermediate Findings Reported After Initiation of the ONDCP Campaign

The purpose of this section is to present respondents' views of changes in awareness and attitudes regarding drugs in the Houston area since baseline. Also presented here are the respondents' views regarding awareness of the ONDCP Media Campaign shortly after it had been implemented in their community.

Recent Local Events Affecting Awareness/Attitudes Toward Drugs

In response to the question "What has happened in the last few months that might have affected awareness of or attitudes toward drugs?," several of the key informants immediately identified the new "media blast" of anti-drug advertising in Houston. Several of the informants also mentioned a Bill Moyers PBS-TV special on addiction, which received special publicity in Houston because some of the forums involving educators were scheduled to be taped there.

Other events mentioned were: a conflict between the Governor and Attorney General over where the money from the State's lawsuit with tobacco companies should go; the recent election of Lee Brown as Mayor of Houston; a conference for at-risk youth highlighting an after-school program convened by Houston Crackdown; drug arrests that one informant claimed were "over sensationalized" by the media; the issue of community policing in the news; the reorganization to improve the Texas Commission on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction; the activities of various social service coalitions; the death of a child in a case of gang violence; a series of heroin overdoses among high school students in the affluent Texas community of Plano; a fatal accident in non-urban Houston involving an 18-year-old alcohol/drug impaired driver who wrecked a car containing 11 teenagers; and a network story over the issue of someone getting into an accident who had been drinking but was not drunk by legal standards.

Youths' and Parents' Reactions to the ONDCP Media Campaign

Separate focus groups were held with youth and parents. Most of the elementary school youth in both the suburbs and the inner-city had good recollection of the ads. The following television ads were remembered by elementary school youth as airing frequently both day and night: the Frying Pan ad, Long Way Home, an ad showing a substance on a plate being offered to a kid, an ad with a girl talking about her brother, and an ad with a girl making a sign of the cross. Some of the 4th-6th graders mentioned hearing ads on the radio; however, they could not remember the details of the ads. The elementary school children understood that the messages were meant to deter them from taking drugs. They responded that the messages were "Just Say No," "no matter how much peer pressure, don't do it," "drug free is the way to be," "a bad influence," "drugs will affect your life," "kids need to resist," "some steroids can be dangerous to your health," "what crack does to the brain," "don't be a junkie," "it can kill," "don't do drugs," "the mind is a terrible thing to waste," and "make the right decision."

One-half of the 7th-9th graders recalled the ads and the other half could not remember any. The ads that were mentioned were Frying Pan, Long Way Home, an ad that describes what crack does to the brain, and an ad that presents a boy on the basketball court with some celebrities. The students remembered seeing the ads both day and night on more than one television channel. Most of the youth recalled hearing one radio ad about a man trying to sing a song but he could not remember the words. All of the students understood the messages of the ads; however, most of them felt that youth their age "don't pay attention" to anti-drug messages because the ads do not reflect the context in which they decide to use drugs. Only one participant felt that the ads could be effective only if they were aired over and over.

All of the 10th-12th graders were aware of the ads and mentioned the following: Frying Pan, Long Way Home, a cartoon ad with a dog, and ads described as "a kid telling his father that he learned about drugs from him," "a man offering drugs to someone," "a father playing basketball with his son," "a boy circling a room," and "a little boy saying `beat it.' " Some of the non-urban high school students also remembered hearing the following radio ads: one about DUI and another ad that repeats the word "stupid." Several students mentioned seeing anti-drug billboard ads such as "Just Say No," "D.A.R.E.," "Up With Hope, Down With Dope," and Cannabis Stupida. The non-urban high school students did not like most of the ads and were quite critical of some. For example, they expressed dislike for the fried egg ad that uses a frying egg as a metaphor for the effect of drugs on the brain. They also felt that the cartoon ad that depicts characters smoking pipes might encourage young people to believe that smoking is cool instead of discouraging them from smoking.

Parents reported seeing many anti-drug ads on television particularly during prime time. They stated that, of the ads they had seen, some targeted parents/adults and others targeted youth. The ads that they could recall included the Frying Pan ad and an ad with a "kid saying no to a man pushing drugs to teens on a basketball court." The parents also commented that they had heard a radio ad about inhalants in which a mother is talking about her son's birthday. The parents generally considered the ads educational for both parents and youth and felt that the ads help keep the drug issue at the forefront in the minds of both. One parent commented that the ads reminded her of the seatbelt ads, "If you love me, you'll buckle up."

Key Informants' Responses to the ONDCP Campaign

A few of the key informants were very cognizant of the Media Campaign. One of those informants actually provided youth participants for the Media Campaign kickoff in Houston. Another said that he was asked to preview some of the ads. A third informant reported that he was not directly involved in the Media Campaign kickoff but he had heard about it from someone on the technical team of advisers. Of course, the baseline informants from Houston Crackdown were fully aware of the Media Campaign since their agency was responsible for organizing its large kickoff in Houston, which included an appearance by ONDCP Director General Barry McCaffrey. Most of the other informants reported that they were aware of the Media Campaign because they had seen some of the TV spots or "heard of it" through other sources.

Most of the informants had seen ads on TV. The TV ads that were identified included Frying Pan; Burbs; Drowning; Long Way Home; and ads described as "a child and parent in the park," "sports celebrities (that aired during the Super Bowl)," the "fried egg ad," a "nursery skit," and "two young women talking." A few of the informants mentioned radio ads including Cannabis Stupida and others referred to as "Bronx '97," "kids on crack-cocaine," and a Spanish ad, "Es un Buen Chico." One informant vaguely recalled five radio ads but was unable to describe them. Another informant reported that "we are seeing three times as many ads in the Houston Chronicle"; she said that she had seen three full-page ads. Only one informant reported seeing a Cannabis Stupida billboard. One key informant could not recall seeing any ads in the media.

Of the ads that were identified by some of the key informants, most recognized the sponsor of the ads as Houston Crackdown; a few remembered the sponsors as ONDCP and Partnership for a Drug-Free America; and the following three sponsors received one mention each: Prevention Resource Center, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), D.A.R.E., and TCADA.

Both the baseline and new key informants agreed that the ads were impressive, as was the frequency with which ads aired during prime time. Some of the comments regarding the frequency of the ads include "massive advertising," "something not seen before," "a huge media blast," and a "big campaign." Most of the respondents also agreed that "You can't make a strong enough statement"; "It says a lot about the commitment to prevention by the media and general community," "It was overdue and needed." The Spanish-speaking informants commented positively on the fact that the ads ran on Spanish-language TV and radio. Most of the informants felt that the ads are effective and "speak to kids where they are." Another informant commented that the "ads are exceptionally well done and kids pay attention to them." Although most key informants generally felt the ads could be effective with youth, one informant expressed concern regarding their effectiveness with hardcore drug users.

Some of the suggestions informants made for improving the ads/campaign were: a greater focus on parenting skills and bonding of parents and children; avoidance of mixed messages; citing alcohol as a gateway to hard drug use; inclusion of tobacco; inclusion of Latino and Asian role models; fewer alcohol and tobacco advertisements in minority media; constant repetition of ads; ads in Asian languages; greater use of peers in ads; ads more "hardcore" or "real" (graphic) to impress "today's youth;" and greater responsibility taken for drug deterrence by disk jockeys that youth listen to.

Media Representatives' Reactions to the ONDCP Media Campaign

Representatives of the media were interviewed to obtain their assessment of the community's response to the Media Campaign. A TV station program manager, an editor of the Houston Chronicle, and a service director/program assistant at a radio station in Houston all reported running the ads. The television and radio informants indicated that the ads have no effect on their broadcast of PSAs for other causes.

The editor from the Houston Chronicle reported that the community's attitude toward drugs and alcohol in general was "at a low ebb, not like the '80s when it peaked." He attributed the greater awareness in the '80s to the "heyday" of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD). The TV station program manager reported that most of the responses they receive from the community come from the nonprofit groups who have worked with the station previously to run PSAs for their causes. A program assistant at a radio station indicated that they receive "lots of letters" with statements of general support and appreciation for the station's efforts with regard to airing PSAs. With respect to specific feedback from the community regarding the Media Campaign ads, most media informants indicated that the Media Campaign was "still too new" to have any impact on any other anti-drug activities in the community.

Media trafficking decisions are made on the basis of perceived benefit to the community; education and volunteerism were described as the primary focus in Houston. In addition, radio and TV informants alike said that sponsors are always a factor in deciding which ads/PSAs to broadcast, particularly in relation to paid advertising. For example, the radio station has a specific policy regarding tobacco products and will not accept any advertising from the tobacco industry. Similarly, the TV informant reported that the station has a policy not to advertise hard liquor. The newspaper informant was unaware of any such policy at the Houston Chronicle.

When the TV informant was asked "What effect does the Media Campaign have on your broadcast of other PSAs?," he responded that "It puts others on the back burners." On the contrary, the radio informant responded that "just because the ads came from Washington, they are not given any particular priority because the station tries to keep the PDFA ads and other ads equal depending on the length of the campaign."

The TV informant's response to the ads can be described as lukewarm as evidenced by her comment that "many of the ads look alike." The radio informant commented that the ads were "well done and placed very well" particularly for the "younger demographic and our more mature listeners." The newspaper informant expressed his admiration of the Frying Pan ad, stating that the spot "hits pretty hard" and would be effective with youth. A TV station manager thought that Frying Pan might draw attention from youth.

Followup Findings in Comparison Site of Dallas, Texas

Dallas and Houston reported similar drug problems and concerns during the baseline visits, but at followup, key community respondents, youth, and parents reported very different levels of awareness of drug prevention activities and advertising campaign efforts in their communities.

There were no discernable contextual changes in Dallas since the initial site visit. The only local event reported at the followup visit to Dallas was the heroin-related deaths of several teenagers in Plano, Texas -- an event that was initially reported and discussed at the baseline site visit. The teenagers overdosed after using an exceptionally potent "black tar" heroin and pseudoephedrine combination being marketed as "cheeva." The most notable local activities mentioned by informants were those initiated as a result of the Plano incident. These activities include an increase in parent groups, community meetings, school assemblies, and "drug summits" sponsored by local and state elected officials.

Youths' and parents' awareness of anti-drug ads were limited. Some of the participants in the youth focus groups reported seeing the following TV ads: Long Way Home and ads described as "McGruff" and "fried egg." Most of the youth who had seen these ads felt that they were not realistic enough. The younger youth suggested using more cartoons because "kids like them." The older youth suggested that the ads must be realistic to have the greatest impact because just telling young people not to use drugs was ineffective and "makes us curious." Parents recalled the Fried Egg and the Long Way Home ads. However, they said that they had not seen much else in the way of anti-drug messages. Parents agreed with older youth that in order for ads to be heard, they need to be more realistic. Some parents did feel that such ads could have an impact on youth who watch a lot of TV, while others believed that TV and movies were not as effective as other methods, such as one-on-one contact with the children. There was little awareness of the ads' sponsors among both youth and parents. Only one parent cited the PDFA as the sponsor of an ad.

Among community representatives interviewed, most were unaware of any media campaign with the exception of a few who had seen some anti-drug ads (e.g., ads described as "father and son at fence," "fried egg," and "will you stand for me?") via satellite dish on stations in other areas. However, those individuals gave no indication that they believed the ads were part of a media campaign. Several commented that the ads were of good quality and had the potential to affect parents and young children. However, they did not feel the ads would be effective with older youth who have already formed opinions about drug use. They expressed the need for more ads to be shown more frequently. Other informants felt that the money spent on the ads could be better spent elsewhere. When asked who the sponsors of the ads were, the informants identified the following: Dallas Police Department, TCADA, National Federation of Parents, and PDFA.

Media informants had very little knowledge of any other anti-drug ads running other than an occasional old PDFA ad. The general impression of those who had seen the ads was favorable.

Summary of Intermediate Findings

Although Dallas has a variety of ongoing prevention and treatment programs, as does the Houston area, there is only minimal anti-drug focus in the Dallas media. The lack of awareness of any anti-drug ads in Dallas was in stark contrast to the high awareness of ads in Houston, where most key informants and nearly all focus group participants recalled numerous ads and made specific recommendations on what they liked and how to improve the Media Campaign.

Because the Dallas community has been taken hold of by the problems being faced in Plano, Texas, there are many prevention activities currently being planned. Thus, the Media Campaign should be a timely addition to their efforts to educate children, parents, and the community at large regarding the dangers of drug abuse.

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