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| Drug Czar Walters' Assertion of Ads' 'Flop' Absurd |
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Posted by CN Staff on May 15, 2002 at 07:55:42 PT Press Release --Bob Weiner Source: U.S. Newswire 
Bob Weiner, spokesman and public affairs director for the White House Drug Policy Office from May 1995-August 2001, called the assertion by Drug Czar John Walters that the anti-drug ad campaign has "flopped" absurd in view of data showing the positive impact of the ads and numbers showing significant youth drug use decline during the last three years of the Clinton administration. Weiner stated: "The assertion by the current Drug Czar, in today's Wall Street Journal, that the anti-drug ad campaign has "flopped" is absurd. We have the data showing the tests that proved that the old ads worked -- teens were 13 percent less likely to use drugs after seeing 'Frying Pan' for example. If the Drug Office isn't still testing their new ads, look within thyself... Or go back to the ones we did which worked! "Youth drug use went way down 34 percent our last 3 years, when the campaign was rolling. The campaign has been reaching 94 percent of the target audience of teens and parents seven times a week. It appears that Mr. Walters wants to slam so he can re-create -- or worse, dismantle -- the program. That was his threat in his statements before his confirmation. That's been part of his partisan proclivity since time eternal, unlike former Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey who capitalized on bipartisan and broad reaching support. "In view of data showing the positive impact of the heavily studied ads and numbers showing significant youth drug use decline during the last three years of the Clinton administration, Mr. Walters would be well served to use and re-use what has worked well and to change only what is ineffective." Since leaving the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Weiner is president of Robert Weiner Associate Public Affairs and Issues Strategies. Note: Former White House Drug Spokesman Bob Weiner Says Drug Czar Walters' Assertion of Ads' 'Flop' Absurd. Newshawk: dddd Related Articles & Web Site: Crossfire Transcripts: Do Drug Ads Work? Survey: Anti-Drug Ads Ineffective U.S. Drug Czar Admits To Failed Ad Campaign New Drug Czar Says Ad Campaign has Flopped Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #7 posted by FoM on May 15, 2002 at 10:09:04 PT |
| You made me think about these lyrics with your comment. It's seems they can never leave!
http://elyrics4u.com/music/lyrics4u/display/lyrics/?ID=3659
Last thing I remember, I was [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #6 posted by FoM on May 15, 2002 at 10:03:09 PT |
| What if a requirement for Bob Weiner to be an expert of marijuana would be that he must smoke one joint of top quality herb?
Can you imagine what he would think? I can. He'd go oh no is this what this is all about? Oh how wrong he would feel. Just a small profound revelation I suppose. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #5 posted by Morgan on May 15, 2002 at 09:39:09 PT |
| Maybe after all the flak the government has been taking about the lack of any serious debate about the 'Drug War', this is their response, and their solution. "See? We're talking about it! See how divided we are about it? We're mad at each other over this! We're serious! " Even though Bob the Weiner no longer holds an official position with the government (or does he?), this is much like the Mafia, where once you're in, there is no 'out'. You're in for life. This is theater. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #4 posted by PonziScheme on May 15, 2002 at 08:53:18 PT |
| Fed's Review of White House Ad Campaign Says $1.5 Billion Program Fails To Reduce Teen Drug Use "Thus far there is relatively little evidence for direct effects of the Campaign on youth," Report Concludes March 14, 2002 - Washington, DC, USA The Fed's $1.5 billion anti-drug ad campaign fails to influence teens to refrain from using illegal drugs, particularly marijuana, according to an evaluation by Westat Inc. and the Annenberg Public Policy Center for the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). "Kids know the difference between honest education and government propaganda," said NORML Executive Director Keith Stroup. "They acknowledge the reality that marijuana is not the same as heroin, even if their government does not." According to the review, teens exposed to the government's National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign are no more likely to refrain from trying drugs because of their exposure. "There [is] no pattern of significant association between exposure and target outcomes for youth," the report says. "Neither the overall results nor the subgroup analyses show consistent evidence supportive of a direct Campaign effect." The report defined the primary objective of the government's advertising campaign as "reduc[ing] the number of young people who try marijuana." Since 1997, the campaign has purchased enough advertising time to expose adolescents to an average of 2.7 ads per week, including a pair of controversial 2002 Super Bowl ads costing some $3.4 million. However, the Westat and Annenberg review found "inadequate evidence to support a claim of change in marijuana use thus far." In fact, the report states that the only significant association attributable to the ad campaign was an increase in marijuana use among 14- to 15-year-olds. The evaluation also found "some evidence" of an increase in marijuana use among suburban 14- to 18-year-olds. "Despite spending billions in taxpayer's dollars, it appears the government's media campaign is having just the opposite effect on America's teens than the one lawmakers intended," Stroup said. Authors measured the campaign's impact on marijuana use by surveying adolescent's attitudes toward marijuana and evaluating their likelihood to avoid using marijuana if it's available. "In summary, thus far there is relatively little evidence for direct effects of the Campaign on youth," authors concluded. "While there were scattered significant positive results [among 12- to 13-years-olds,] they were balanced by scattered significant negative results [among 14- to 18-year-olds.]" The report is the third in a series reviewing the government program. The Westat and Annenberg report focused on Phase III of the ad campaign, a period that began in September 1999 and is planned to run at least until the end of this spring. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #3 posted by qqqq on May 15, 2002 at 08:35:27 PT |
| ..there's no one quite like Bob Weiner!...He's really special....He's the frustrated,wanna be drug czar who is struggling for recognition....I'll bet you he's a scientologist!??... [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #2 posted by idbsne1 on May 15, 2002 at 08:28:24 PT |
| Also: 'Weiner stated: "The assertion by the current Drug Czar, in today's Wall Street Journal, that the anti-drug ad campaign has "flopped" is absurd' and the Study done by Westat and the University of Pennsylvania doesn't mean diddly? Hmmm... I wonder if other prohibitionists realize their hypocracy is so obvious?.... Scientific studies are now "assertions"... idbsne1 [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #1 posted by Dark Star on May 15, 2002 at 08:08:36 PT |
| Look who's fighting amongst themselves now! The chink in the armor is evident. It is time to drive a Mack truck through it. [ Post Comment ] |
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