This study evaluated the efficacy of "Above the Influence" (ATI), a national media-based health persuasion campaign to deter youth drug use. The campaign uses public service anti-drug prevention messages and targets youth between the ages of 14 and 16, a period of heightened susceptibility to peer influences. The evaluation utilized mall…

The objective of this study was determine if the inclusion of Canadian-style graphic images would improve the degree to which adolescents attend to, and subsequently are able to recall, novel warning messages in tobacco magazine advertising. Specifically, our goal was to determine if the inclusion of graphic images would 1) increase visual…

Examined tobacco advertisements in gender-oriented magazines (N=74). Found more advertisements present in women's than men's magazines, and messages contained in advertisements were differentially stressed as function of magazine's primary readership. This survey and followup three months later indicated that Surgeon General's report in spring of…

Survey of 64 popular men's magazines and 47 women's magazines revealed that almost seven times as many over-the-counter drug advertisements were found in the latter than in the former. Most advertisements directed toward women concerned appearance; most directed toward men were for stimulants. Suggests enhanced regulatory efforts against…

Assesses the inter-rater reliability of two environmental scanning tools designed to identify alcohol-related advertisements targeting college students. Inter-rater reliability for these forms varied across different rating categories and ranged from poor to excellent. Suggestions for future research are addressed. (Contains 26 references and 6…

Investigated sample of prime time network television advertisements to determine how gender portrayals differ in drug and nondrug commercials. Found that women were significantly more likely than men to appear as characters in drug advertisements than in advertisements for other products and that they were frequently portrayed in these commercials…

During the week of September 16-20, 1990, commercials promoting drugs and alcohol outnumbered the networks' news stories, documentaries, and public service announcements (PSAs) about illegal drugs by a ratio of almost 39 to 1. Considering the commercials alone, promotion of drugs and alcohol outnumbered the antidrug promotions by a ratio of almost…

We investigate the educational value of direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug advertisements from 58 popular magazines published in 1992 and 2002. We find that the number of DTC prescription drug ads increased nine-fold from 1992 to 2002, while the advertisements for other health care products increased only slightly. We examine changes in…

Investigates how much and what type of information college students receive from the media about drugs. Interviews were conducted with 228 students using the message discrimination protocol. Results are discussed in terms of the audience receiving fear and fight messages rather than clear, accurate information necessary to make informed decisions…

Compares college student attitude ratings and recall scores of various advertisements. Results reveal that the rating and recall scores of alcohol advertisements were significantly higher than those for cigarette advertisements and were among the highest of all the advertisements. Sex differences are examined. Results indicate that college…

Background: In adolescents aged 12-14, we measured attitudes to tobacco advertising. Our purpose is to understand the relation of these attitudes to tobacco use and identify the groups most influenced by the advertising. Methods: Survey of adolescents on Gran Canaria Island, Spain, about aspects of family, school, peers, tobacco consumption, and…

Examined the influence of advertising on excessive and dangerous drinking in a survey of 1,200 adolescents and young adults who were shown advertisements depicting excessive consumption themes. Results indicated that advertising stimulates consumption levels, which leads to heavy drinking and drinking in dangerous situations. (JAC)

This study explored the association between attendance at the "Bud World Party," a family entertainment venue created by Anheuser-Busch for the 2002 Winter Olympics, and alcohol-related beliefs and current drinking behaviors for a group of 7th and 8th graders who attend a middle school in close proximity to the downtown Salt Lake City plaza where…

Surveyed the opinions of (N=3,100) 7th- to 12th-grade students regarding the perceived effectiveness of both pro-smoking and anti-smoking messages. Results indicated that most teenagers were exposed to anti-smoking information and materials in schools. Statistically significant differences existed between smokers and nonsmokers in their…

The problems associated with the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD) extract a significant health, social, and economic toll on American society. While the field of substance abuse prevention has made great strides during the past decade, two major challenges remain. First, the field has been disorganized and fragmented with respect to…