National Survey Indicates Anti-Drug Messages in the Media are Working
Youth who reported hearing alcohol and drug prevention messages are less likely to turn to drugs.
(PRWEB) August 9, 2005 -- For many years now the anti-drug movement in
America has been using Public Service Announcements (PSAs) to deliver messages
on television, radio, in print media and now online about the dangers and
consequences of using drugs. From Nancy Reagan’s "Just Say No," to an egg in a
frying pan to funding terrorism, some of the more famous campaigns that were
used did little more than create "product recognition" while others have had a
huge impact on deterrence.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA) issued a report demonstrating that the vast
majority of youth ages 12 to 17 (more than 20 million) are receiving drug and
alcohol prevention messages through the media. The report also showed that those
who have been exposed to such messages are significantly less likely to abuse
drugs.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) showed that
not only are a 83 percent of teens hearing these anti-drug messages, they are
making an impact. Youth who reported having seen or heard prevention messages in
the media during the past year are much less likely than their peers to report
illicit drug use (10.8 vs. 13.7 percent).
The survey also indicated the
crucial role parents play in keeping their children drug-free. The report stated
that youth who had talked with a parent about the dangers of drug use were less
likely to report past month illicit drug use than those who had not.
According to a supervisor at Narconon Arrowhead, "Communicating the
truth about drugs to our nation’s youth requires more than just a message. The
information is best delivered by someone with real-life experience on the
subject and provides something more than what they read in a health class text
book."
Narconon Arrowhead has a team of dedicated staff working to
educate young and old alike through the media and reaches millions of people
each week through their PSAs, which air all over the country on a regular
basis.
The Narconon® program has been effectively educating youth through
all forms of media and live presentations for decades with hundreds of thousands
of surveys showing exactly what works with kids and what they want to know. As
one of the nation’s largest and most effective drug rehabilitation and education
programs, Narconon Arrowhead uses the proven drug-free methodology developed by
American author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard.
"Many young people are
told that drugs are dangerous, but not how or why," says the Narconon
spokesperson, "To deter them from experimentation with these substances it helps
to project into the future what drug use leads to and to explain that none of
the 23 million people in need of substance abuse treatment ever thought they
would become an addict."
Though it is not likely that a single 60-second
PSA will completely change someone’s mind about drugs, repetition of message
with insightful information can go a long way in the fight to prevent drug use.
This is an important reminder as much of the nation’s schools begin their fall
semester this month.
For more information about drugs and addiction, call
Narconon Arrowhead today at 1-800-468-6933 or visit www.stopaddiction.com.
# # #
Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/8/prweb270287.htm