Tricia Eitel, Ph D, Ogilvy & Mather, 309 W. 49th St., 14th Floor, WorldWide Plaza, New York, NY 10019, 212-237-7924, patricia.eitel@ogilvy.com and Robert W. Denniston, MA, National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, Office of National Drug Control Policy, Office of Demand Reduction, Executive Office of the President, Washington, DC 20503.

ONDCP’s National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign (NYADMC) provides important drug information to youth through its advertising and non-advertising initiatives. However, the campaign operates in an environment proliferated with pro-drug messages whose impact has not yet been successfully tracked or quantified. This study examined the various drug-related messages that teens are exposed to in order to (1) identify the relative ratio of pro- to anti-drug messages and (2) understand their relative power and influence on teen drug attitudes and behavior. A national study was conducted with 144 teens from six markets throughout the country (2 urban, 2 suburban, 2 rural). Teens were provided specially designed ‘drug diaries’ in which to record the various ways and contexts in which they encounter drug-related information, references, or messaging on a daily basis for a two-week period. Half of the teens in each market were trained in media-awareness to ensure more accurate detection and recording of drug messages, while half were left untrained to control for any influence media-awareness training may have on teens’ reactions to the drug-messaging. Two teens in each market were profiled via ethnographic research to provide supplementary in-depth information. Upon completion, teens participated in discussions about the assignment and their reactions. Findings suggest that pro-drug messages dramatically out-weigh anti-drug messages, though anti-drug ads are teens’ most-frequently reported source of anti-drug information. Factors contributing to the power of pro-drug messaging and implications for increasing the relative strength of anti-drug messaging will be discussed.

Learning Objectives: At the completion of the session, attendees will

• be able to identify the relative ratio of pro- to anti-drug messages found in youth culture
• identify the factors contributing to the power of pro-drug messaging
• identify the challenges anti-drug messaging must overcome to be effective with teens
• contrast the relative power and influence of pro and anti-drug messaging on teen drug attitudes and behavior.

Keywords: Drugs, Adolescents

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.