Anti-Drug Campaigns

This entry describes large-scale public anti-drug education, prevention, and communication campaigns undertaken in the United States in the last 30 years. Particular examples of campaigns are used and their purpose, approach, and effectiveness highlighted (such as the “Just Say No,” Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or DARE; National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, or NYAMC; and Project ALERT campaigns). While the description of campaigns from the 1980s onward may offer some insight into the recent evolution of U.S. anti-drug activities, this entry is not intended as a complete historical record of these efforts. The focus here is on public health education and communication campaigns, as opposed to other initiatives such as those addressing supply and demand issues; thus, other policy actions and legal initiatives (such as increased punishment for users) are generally not included. This concentrated scope allows sufficient detail for the reader to gain a solid understanding of the mass media and school-based anti-drug initiatives launched and implemented in the United States in recent decades.