What is the ONDCP “National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign?
” It is a five year, $1 billion program of paid media messages to “educate and enable America’s youth to reject illegal drugs.”1 While the campaign contains a number of components, the largest is a series of carefully designed television, radio and print media advertisements. These advertisements are intended “to prevent drug use before it starts and to encourage occasional users to discontinue use. In both cases, the drugs to focus on are drugs of first use.”2 The media effort targets two audiences: (1) “early adolescents” — those before the age when drug use has normally been initiated, and (2) parents. The campaign is designed as an integrated effort in contrast to an ad hoc assembly of pre-existing spots, brochures and advertisements. As the ONDCP strategic plan says: The campaign strategy is designed to use a “full range of media mechanisms and formats in an integrated fashion and in a manner consistent with the communications strategy. To ensure effectiveness, all message execut
