4. CASE STUDIES

San Diego, California

Two site visits have been made to San Diego. The first baseline visit occurred during the week of December l-6, l997. The first followup visit took place during the week of March 30, l998.

Phoenix, Arizona, was selected as a comparison site for San Diego, California, because both cities have similar demographic and community characteristics. The quantitative data collected from in-school surveys completed by students in both San Diego and Phoenix also showed similar patterns at baseline. These patterns, displayed in Exhibit 4-1 at the end of Section 4, further demonstrate that Phoenix constitutes a reasonable comparison site for San Diego. Exhibit 4-10 summarizes youth, parent, and community findings for both sites.

The remainder of this report will describe key baseline data collected in San Diego at baseline and at followup 12 weeks into the Media Campaign, as well as certain key findings collected in Phoenix during the followup visit.

Baseline Picture

Ongoing Anti-Drug Activities in the San Diego Community

Both State and local government agencies currently fund an array of prevention programs in the San Diego area. Alcohol and Drug Services is one of the major services within the County of San Diego Health Services Department. This office provides alcohol and other drug prevention, pre-treatment, treatment, and recovery services to county residents, usually through contracts with private, nonprofit, community-based agencies, but also through collaborative arrangements with private and public agencies. The County Board of Supervisors recently allocated $l million to fund 27 "Critical Hours" programs, which provide free, supervised, after-school activities for youth. The free programs offer teenagers supervised activities between 2 and 6p.m. These activities include sports, homework assistance, and drug and alcohol education.

Other prevention programs include those administered by the Police Department such as D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education). There is also a D.A.R.E. day camp held at various recreation centers throughout the City of San Diego. Other police-sponsored programs include the Police Athletic League and Program Star, which includes after-school programs. The county also sponsors efforts that deal with youth drinking and smoking such as a Border Task Force to address l5-l6-year-old youth crossing the Mexican border to consume alcohol. The County Office of Education (COE) provides school districts with a variety of services and it also operates juvenile court and community schools that target at-risk, middle, and high school-age students. These programs include violence prevention and parent education training.

The Union of Pan Asian Communities (UPAC) targets services to the low-income Pacific Islander population. The program has a Juvenile Crime Prevention component that focuses on decreasing youth access to alcohol and other drugs and increasing family-focused, alcohol- and drug-free alternatives. The Boys & Girls' Club provides after-school and summer programs in education, vocational training, health and physical education, social recreation, citizenship and leadership development, outdoor and environmental education, and cultural arts. The clubs serve youth in high-risk neighborhoods and provide alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD)education. The San Diego Youth & Communities Services (SDYC) is a private, nonprofit organization that provides services to youth and their families to enhance their social, economic and political options. The agency provides an array of services for youth that include case management and counseling, tutoring, drug and alcohol education, and emergency shelter for homeless, runaway and "street" youth. SAY San Diego, Inc., a private, nonprofit agency that provides supportive services to youth and their families, offers juvenile delinquency prevention and diversion programs, substance abuse and gang prevention programs, and school and community-based social services.

Trends in the San Diego Community

San Diego has a large student population and a laid-back "beach culture," which makes it a popular vacation spot. The city is located at the borderline that separates Mexico and the U.S. The border has been a battleground where the U.S. authorities have mobilized against northbound immigration and narcotics flow. For that reason, San Diego has been designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). Unfortunately, the increased anti-drug efforts do not appear to have reduced the flow of drugs and violence into the San Diego community.

The Mexican border offers easy access to inexpensive drugs. Youth who travel to Mexico are able to buy drugs in small quantities for small amounts of money.

Most community respondents interviewed suggested that drug use and experimentation among youth is increasing, with marijuana being the preferred drug. They noted that drug experimentation and use is not unique to high-risk neighborhoods but is prevalent throughout the San Diego area. For example, drug-sniffing dogs have been used in the Grossmont and Poway school districts to reduce the availability of drugs on school campuses. Both school districts are considered to be middle-class communities.

Alcohol use and binge drinking are reported frequently among youth crossing into Mexico. The San Diego Police and the U.S. Customs estimate that l0,000 young people come back into San Diego each night and that half of them are "drunk" (Indian Housing Authority, l997).

Drug Awareness and Behavior Reported by Youth and Parents

Separate focus groups were held with youth and parents. Most youth in grades 4th-6th reported learning about drugs from friends, the D.A.R.E. program, or from other in-school activities, like health fairs. Many youth in this age group reported that their parents do talk with them about drugs and encourage them not to use them. Youth in grades 7-9 reported that they learn about drugs in school, at education programs through the hospital, on TV, and from their parents and church groups. Youth in grades l0-l2 reported that most of their peers learn about drugs from their friends. A typical response offered by this age group was that "you learn about drugs watching people who are messed up." Most high school students reported that they could obtain drugs from their friends and that they recognize who, among their peers, is a regular user.

Parents believe that their children learn about drugs in school, primarily from the D.A.R.E. program. Other parents referred to the health fairs sponsored by the schools to educate youth and their parents. A fair number of parents admitted that they do not know much about drugs and that they would not recognize a drug or a person under its influence.

Community Drug Problems as Perceived by Community Key Informants

Almost all community respondents described San Diego's drug problem as "moderate" or "serious." They noted that marijuana use has increased among youth in recent years. While marijuana appears to be the drug of choice, they also noted that nicotine and alcohol are very popular among young people in their community.

All community respondents agreed that drugs are easily accessible in the schools and that the number of teenagers crossing the border to buy beer has increased. Most community respondents see a direct link between the drug problem among their youth and San Diego's proximity to the Mexican border.

Some respondents believe that there is a denial of the drug problem in some of the more affluent neighborhoods. One school official noted the passing of Proposition 2l5, legalizing marihuana for medicinal purposes, as an example of how apathetic the community is. Police officers noted the lack of citizen support and involvement as another example of public and parent apathy. Many community respondents observed that parents tend to think it is someone else's child who is using drugs. Most informants agreed that school officials are under a lot of pressure from parents to protect a school's image regarding drug use among its students. In spite of these reports of apathetic behavior, most community respondents believe that parents are concerned about drug use and that many parents need more information in order to talk with their children.

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

Community respondents agreed that youth are receiving mixed messages about drugs. Some of these messages, which encourage drug experimentation and use, come from parents, other youth, the media, entertainers, and celebrities who are viewed as trendsetters. All respondents agreed that young people are under increasing stress and that they are surrounded by drugs in the schools, in their neighborhoods, and at home.

Respondents were aware of an effort sponsored by the Methamphetamine Strike Force that included a media campaign. This campaign has generated 5 billboards with anti-drug messages, 46 PSAs, 78 print media and 24 radio outputs from September l997 to October l997. The Strike Force also implemented a hot line that refers users for treatment and receives confidential tips that can lead to the arrest of producers and traffickers. There was no mention of any other anti-drug advertising effort in the community.

Intermediate Findings After Initiation of the ONDCP Media Campaign

The purpose of this section is to present information on respondents' views of changes related to drug awareness/attitudes in San Diego since baseline and their awareness and views regarding the Media Campaign shortly after it had been implemented in their community.

Recent Local Events Affecting Awareness/Attitudes Toward Drugs

During the week of the followup site visit, a local radio station dedicated the week to the topic of substance abuse. The Bill Moyers TV special, Close to Home, also received considerable attention in the San Diego community.

A recent document produced by the Suicide Homicide Audit Committee focused on critical issues influencing youth suicide and homicide. That report increased awareness among some respondents of the alcohol and drug problem. Many of the respondents interviewed during baseline continued, during the followup visit, to talk about the Border Project ,which is focusing on border crossings of under-age drinkers. Many of the respondents believe that young people who drink alcoholic beverages are more likely to use illegal drugs than are nondrinkers.

Youths' and Parents' Reactions to the ONDCP Media Campaign

Separate focus groups were held with youth and parents. Elementary school students were not very familiar with anti-drug advertisements. There were only a few references to a cartoon anti-drug ad.

Non-urban middle school students were more familiar than their urban counterparts with anti-drug spots on TV. They had not heard any anti-drug ads on the radio and they had not seen any anti-drug billboards. The middle school youth did not seem to be aware of any ONDCP or PDFA sponsorship of the TV ads they had seen. Middle school students more frequently mentioned their awareness of anti-smoking advertisements. Several Asian middle-school students would like to see Asians portrayed in the ads.

Both urban and non-urban high school students were very aware of anti-drug advertisements on television. They were able to identify specific ads and recalled their messages. They also remembered that these ads had been sponsored by ONDCP and the PDFA. Only a few of the urban high school students recalled hearing any anti-drug messages on the radio, and they were not able to identify the sponsoring agency. Only non-urban high school students remembered seeing any anti-drug billboards. Generally, high school students thought that the new advertisements they had seen were more effective than older ones, but they still described them as "preachy." The new Frying Pan ad drew attention, but some youth did not understand whether the girl in the ad was on drugs. These youth recommended that new anti-drug messages should use the same approach used by the Budweiser commercials, which is to build from one commercial to the next, creating some suspense. Most of the youth agreed that the ads had made them think seriously about the dangers of drugs.

Parents were less familiar with the ONDCP Media Campaign ads than were the high school students. Awareness of specific ads was more common among inner-city parents than among non-urban parents.

Parents agreed that new ads should show the physical harm done by drugs, showing persons with permanent disabilities, parents who had lost a child to drugs, and bomb threats.

Key Informants' Responses to the ONDCP Media Campaign

The response to the Media Campaign among community respondents was generally positive. As a group they were able to identify specific advertisements, including the Frying Pan ad, one about a Hispanic woman, and one about a father talking with his son. They also recalled seeing the Cannabis Stupida billboard. Most of the respondents did not recognize ONDCP as the sponsor of the ads, but they were familiar with the PDFA affiliation.

A number of community informants were surprised that they had not seen any ads on methamphetamine given that San Diego is considered the "capital of meth."

Key informants' perceptions about the ads were mixed, ranging from those who thought the ads were helpful to those who did not think the ads would reach their intended audiences. Several respondents suggested that for a media campaign to be successful, it must be part of a multi-level strategy and the ads must be localized. Several informants also commented that the advertisements are not shown at the right times of day or night to reach youth.

Members of a local coalition in San Diego charged with monitoring the Media Campaign said that some ads generated more calls than they expected and that "we are reaching an incredible number of people." They received more than
100 phone calls and in 2 weeks sent out 300 booklets to parents and educators (from whom most of the calls were received). One mother called and said "it scared me to death because it showed me how much I don't know." Opposing views came from a few callers who feel the ads encourage young people to try drugs.

In planning new ads, informants recommended that the ads be localized, that ONDCP should piggyback on local issues, and that the ads should target methamphetamine and the border-crossing problem among youth.

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. The major local newspaper was reported to be running six ONDCP print ads, averaging two full-page ads per month. They had not made any effort to monitor reaction to the ads.

A representative from a Spanish TV station reported that drug use among youth in the Latino community is a very serious problem. The station favors the topics of educational and academic achievement, health, and substance abuse when selecting PSAs to air. The station is currently working with a local school district to develop PSAs for school drop-out prevention because they believe this is a real issue with young Latinos. The station rejected several Media Campaign ads because the staff thought the ads had little connection with the Hispanic audience in San Diego. For example, one advertisement portraying a Caribbean-looking girl in a New York barrio did not reflect the reality of the Hispanic population in San Diego, which primarily includes immigrants from Mexico and Central America.

A local radio station manager reported that his station airs anti-drug ads from the California Department of Health Services year-round. They are also running seven versions of the PDFA ads that originated from an agency in Los Angeles that places ads according to a certain schedule. This station manager reported that he has not yet had any feedback from the public on the PDFA ads.

One of the local TV station managers reported that his station is airing the new anti-drug paid advertisements, but they are identifying the sponsor as "Drug Free America." To date, they have not received any feedback on these advertisements.

Followup Findings in Comparison Site of Phoenix, Arizona

Since the baseline visit to Phoenix, several local events have occurred that might influence the community's awareness of the drug problem. Local incidents of drug-related violence have been extensively reported in the media. County officials are also targeting "slumlords" in south Phoenix and recently raided a rundown apartment complex as part of an effort to eliminate substandard rental properties. These apartments were often used as drug dens.

On April l5, l998, a Children and Violence Town Hall Meeting was hosted in Phoenix by CBS News anchor, Dan Rather. The attendees examined the issue of children and violence from a variety of perspectives. Gang and drug problems were addressed before a live audience of about a thousand people.

A notable news event was the death of two youth, ages l7 and 20, who died after ramming two police cars while high on methamphetamine. A related event in the community was the hearing conducted in Phoenix in April 1998 by the United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Technology, Terrorism and Government Information. This hearing addressed the rapidly increasing methamphetamine problem in the Phoenix community.

Two major anti-drug campaigns are currently underway in Phoenix: the anti-tobacco campaign funded by the Arizona Department of Health Services and the anti-methamphetamine campaign directed by the National Guard.

Newspaper managers reported that their newspapers have focused PSAs on local activities and problems rather than on national events. These PSAs are primarily related to charities they want to promote, including the local fundraiser for the Boys and Girls' Club.

Youth of all age groups were very aware of the anti-tobacco commercials being aired in their community. They also recalled seeing posters at school sponsored by the Arizona Tobacco Education and Prevention Program. A few elementary school students recalled seeing an anti-drug commercial on cable television and a cartoon commercial. Urban high school students reported seeing the Frying Pan ad on television, while non-urban high school students were not aware of any anti-drug ads shown on TV.

Parents in focus groups appeared to be very aware of the anti-smoking campaign. Some parents also had seen anti-drug ads on television.

Summary of Intermediate Findings

In Phoenix, which was not targeted by the Media Campaign, there is very little awareness of any anti-drug campaign. At the same time, recall of the local anti-smoking campaign is very strong. In San Diego, media representatives and community informants were aware of the Media Campaign messages, but they had mixed reactions to the advertisements. There was a relatively low level of awareness of these ads reported by parents. Youth in grades 4-6 did not recall the anti-drug ads on television, radio, or in any print medium. Non-urban middle school students recalled some of the anti-drug ads being shown on TV, but they did not recognize ONDCP as the sponsor. High school students reported good recall of the anti-drug ads and many of them recognized ONDCP or PDFA as the sponsor of these ads. Only non-urban high-school students were aware of the anti-drug billboards mounted in their community. Community informants, parents, and students of all age groups offered recommendations about how to improve anti-drug advertising in the future. There was a heavy emphasis on localizing ads and addressing the border-crossing problem in their community.