What is the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign?
The U.S. Congress created the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign in 1998 with the goal of preventing and reducing youth drug abuse across the nation. The Campaign is managed by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). Grounded in research and implemented in collaboration with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, the Media Campaign is a strategically integrated communications program that combines paid advertising with public communications outreach. Unlike traditional public service campaigns that depend on donated advertising time and space from media outlets, the Media Campaign uses a paid advertising budget to ensure effective media placement of messages and requires a 2-to-1 return from media outlets, mandated by Congress, achieving value that is unmatched by any other advertiser—commercial, nonprofit, or public service.
