THEORY AND PRACTICE IN THE NATIONAL YOUTH ANTI-DRUG MEDIA CAMPAIGN

This article will review the role of behavioral theory in the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign and then will identify lessons learned as the Campaign evolved to adjust to new insights and the realities of the mission. It should be noted that the primary dependence on national advertising, as opposed to a more integrated campaign using community-based or other media and social marketing strategies, or a more targeted, segmented campaign, was a premise of the Campaign as authorized by Congress. In other words, the role of social science was limited primarily to identifying desired attitudinal and behavioral outcomes and to helping develop message platforms and briefs that might help achieve those outcomes. Although social science input was not invited with respect to the broader strategic issues in prevention communication strategy, its application in the design and implementation of a major national media campaign has been a unique opportunity worthy of documentation and further consideration. CAMPAIGN DEVELOPMENT The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign began in 1997 with a flurry of activity following the Administra-tion request and Congressional funding for the Campaign. This activity included using drug prevention advertise-ments previously produced by the Partnership for a Drug Free America (PDFA), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to decrease and prevent drug use in this country. While these ads were being aired, another effort was underway that involved a systematic process of reviewing research that might guide efforts to achieve the overall goal of the campaign: ‘‘to educate and enable America‘s youth to reject illicit drugs’ ’ (ONDCP, 1998). This goal D ow nl oa d