Teens More Likely To Try Marijuana After Viewing Feds' Anti-Pot Ads, Study Says

NORML ^ | May 11, 2006 | NORML

[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.

[traviskicks]

A government program having an effect opposite its intention? Impossible!
----

lol, I'm not sure I can name one government program that actually accomplished its intended goal. War on Poverty? Increased Poverty. War on Drugs? Increased Drug use. And on and on.

[Oztrich Boy]

Dang, I thought that red button would DO something!

You want a working red button?

OK Knock yourself out

[Al Gator]

Yee Haa, I just love it!

Thanks

[thoughtomator]

For some odd reason I keep ending up at the top of this thread.

[mlc9852]

LOL - my boss is going to wonder why I am sitting here laughing.

[AdamSelene235]

LOL, I'd never seen drugs until the DARE officer brought them to my 6th grade class.

I learned about yellow jackets, bongs, how to make a crack pipe out of a coke can, and how to use a spoon to cook up heroin and an eye dropper and a safety pin to squirt it under the skin.

Thanks guys!

[mugs99]

A government program having an effect opposite its intention?

It's all about the money.
"The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, initiated by Congress in 1998, has spent more than $2 billion in taxpayers' money"
.

[AdamSelene235]

And whatever you do kids don't huff the gas out of whipped cream bottles! Its way way too much fun for a person your age.

[freepatriot32]

ping

[Supernatural]

"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,"

Well, of course! Most government progams fail. Just a waste of time, effort and money.

This is rule no. 1 for right wing talk show host Jim Quinn of "Quinn and Rose" in the morning. Everything liberals try to do, it backfires and the exact opposite result happens.

Here is the Quinn's Law in effect.

[freepatriot32]

I know a lot of people are saying gee the government anti drug programs are having the exact opposite effect that they want them to .I disagree I think this is exactly what the government wants to have happen.If these kids saw the anti drug ads and where scared away from doing drugs the cops and dea could not make any money from them through asset forfieture,court imposed fines for possesion,20,000 dollars a year in tax money to incarcerate people on drug charges and bigger budgets next year to fight the war on drugs. the entire house of cards would collapse instantly if they put out effective anti drug adds that worked

[KurtZ]

The funny thing is after the kids see all this anti-pot propaganda and go out an actually try the stuff, they realize they've been lied too. And if the government is lying to them about the effects of pot, its probably lying to them about the effects of crack too, or so goes their thinking.

I think the lesson to be learned is: Stop lying to kids!

[winston2]

The funny thing is after the kids see all this anti-pot propaganda and go out an actually try the stuff, they realize they've been lied too. And if the government is lying to them about the effects of pot, its probably lying to them about the effects of crack too, or so goes their thinking.

I think the lesson to be learned is: Stop lying to kids!

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You said it all brother!

BTW - my youngest son is 6 months older than you.