What ever you do...DON'T PRESS THIS BUTTON!!
Posted on 05/12/2006 8:05:21 AM PDT by cryptical
Teenagers exposed to anti-marijuana public service announcements (PSAs) produced by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) are more likely to hold positive attitudes about the drug and are more likely to express their intent to use cannabis after viewing the advertisements, according to a study published in the May issue of the journal Addictive Behaviors.
Two hundred and twenty-six volunteers age 18- to 19-years old took part in the study. Participants viewed either a series of anti-marijuana PSAs accessed from the ONDCP website or a series of anti-tobacco advertisements. Investigators then surveyed viewers' attitudes toward the two substances by using a five-point scale (e.g., good-bad) and computerized implicit association tests (IATs). Researchers also measured respondents' intent to use either marijuana or tobacco via a 10-point scale (e.g., agree-disagree).
Investigators found that viewers expressed significantly fewer negative attitudes toward marijuana after viewing the ads. No such "boomerang effect" was noted among those who viewed anti-tobacco advertising.
"It appears that ... anti-marijuana public statement announcements used in national anti-drug campaigns in the US produce immediate effects [that are the] opposite [of those] intended by the creators of this campaign," authors concluded. "This reactance effect was triggered only by anti-marijuana ads [and] not by anti-tobacco ads. Therefore, it cannot be attributed to a general disposition [by adolescents] to respond with reactance (e.g. rebelliousness) to any anti-substance use persuasion."
Investigators added: "Students viewing anti-marijuana advertising [also] declared significantly higher intention to use this substance than students exposed to anti-tobacco ads, while controlling for pre-existing differences in attitudes to marijuana. ... [This] would suggest that exposure to anti-marijuana advertising might not only change young viewers attitudes to [become] more positive toward this substance, but also might directly increase [their] risk of using marijuana."
The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, initiated by Congress in 1998, has spent more than $2 billion in taxpayers' money and matching funds producing and airing anti-marijuana advertisements, including several alleging that the use of cannabis funds international terrorist activities.
For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at (202) 483-5500. Full text of the study, "Explicit and implicit effects of anti-marijuana and anti-tobacco TV advertising," appears in the May issue of the journal Addictive Behaviors.
A government program having an effect opposite its intention? Impossible!
What ever you do...DON'T PRESS THIS BUTTON!!
The lad who took drugs was shown larking about acting like an idiot who ran in the road and got knocked down.
The problem was the teenagers watching the video thought the lad was having a lot more fun than his mate who kept trying to stop him.
Obvious. There is too much Government invested in it for them to want voluntarty reduction in drug use.
Dang, I thought that red button would DO something!
No, I didn't click the stupid thing a thousand times,
maybe about 50
This is obvious to anyone who has been a teenager assaulted by these ads... basic 'forbidden fruit' philosophy. The vast majority of kids learn that illegal drugs exist through these gov't ads. "Hey kids, don't touch this, it's very very bad for you... oh, and by the way you can get it pretty much anywhere and don't even need to show ID to get it!"
Big surprise. There was a story a year or so ago about the Feds bringing in kids to discuss ad campaigns and ideas. The ads the kids said were effective were canned, and the ones they laughed at were "approved".
New Headline: "Teens likely to do the opposite of what you tell them to do."
A radio guy I listen to over the web out of Pittsburg always says "Liberalism always generates the exact opposite of it's stated intent"
Thanks. I just pushed my monitor off my desk.
Note how successful the efforts have been to prevent venereal disease and out-of-wedlock babies.
LOL!!
You listen to Jimmy Quinn too?
Good show.
"There was Cowboy Neal, at the wheel on the bus to Never, Never Land..."
Libertarian ping! To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.
"You listen to Jimmy Quinn too? "
Yup, have for a long time, which is odd because I live in Florida... but I found that show a few years ago via the web and listen almsot every day.
You can get the show on XM now. I think its channel 165.
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