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Study: Anti-Drug Ads Don't Work

By Jeralyn, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Fri May 28, 2004 at 05:40:30 AM EST
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The Government plans to spend $145 million this year on anti-drug ads. A new study shows they don't work. They may even prompt some kids to start experimenting with drugs.

The study was done by Texas State University at San Marcos psychology professors and sponsored by the Marijuana Policy Project. From the news article:

Researchers Harvey Ginsburg and Maria Czyzewska, of the Department of Psychology at Texas State, said 53 college students were asked to watch several of the commercials and give detailed descriptions of the thoughts the ads generated.

Three of every four students reported the ads sparked thoughts that ran counter to the ads' message, the study showed. "For example, in response to ads linking drug use to the war on terror, the most frequent unanticipated thoughts were that marijuana should be legalized, the war on drugs has been ineffective, and that marijuana users should grow their own," said Czyzewska.

A Government sponsored study in 2002 also found that kids don't respond to the anti-drug ads:

A national survey conducted in 2002 by Westat Inc. and the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania for the National Institute on Drug Abuse...concluded, "There is little evidence of direct favorable campaign effects on youth." It went on to note, "For some ... analysis raises the possibility that those with more exposure to the (ads) ... had less favorable outcomes over the following 18 months."

The bottom line according to one of the Texas psychologists:

This is a classic example of the 'boomerang effect' that other researchers have warned about," Czyzewska said: "Commercials producing a response that is precisely the opposite of what the ads' creators intended."

The study will be presented Friday at the meeting of the American Psychological Society in Chicago.

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