Founding In the mid-1980s, a small group of advertising professionals working with the
American Association of Advertising Agencies proposed a marketing campaign to reduce teenage drug use. The group was formed officially in 1985. The group saw the merits of focused approach similar to that for a commercial product or service.
Public service announcements or PSAs had previously been shown by networks whenever possible, regardless of intended audience. Many PSAs aired late at night, or were used by networks to fill slots lacking other advertisements. Marston urged, instead, a targeted focused anti-drug campaign similar to that for a specific brand of cereal or an automobile, but instead "unselling" drugs The organization was loosely modeled along the lines of a standard advertising agency, with a creative director post and "account executives" to head specific effort. sat on the Partnership's board of directors. By 1993, it had 30 employees. with its
This Is Your Brain on Drugs broadcast and print
public service advertisements (PSAs). It has been recognized as "one of the most influential" ad campaigns in the
history of marketing,
The 1990s In 1989,
Johnson & Johnson chief executive James E. Burke took over leadership of the organization. Marston and other executives adjusted their media strategy accordingly as fast-moving trends made one drug "hot" while others fell out of favor. The Partnership coordinated efforts with
Barry McCaffrey, the director of the
Office of National Drug Control Policy, in targeting efforts against heroin. McCaffrey endorsed the Partnership's campaigns and spoke at their news conferences. In 1999, filmmaker
Robert Zemeckis made a
documentary entitled
The Pursuit of Happiness: Smoking, Drinking and Drugging in the 20th Century which made an in-depth examination of the problem of drug use, covering 100 years and interviewing professionals and historians. Zemeckis included Marston in the film.
The 2000s In 2002, Burke retired as chairman, and was replaced by Roy J. Bostock. The Partnership had been tracking ecstasy use since 1996, and in 2002 found that 52% of students were aware of the dangers associated with its use as compared to 46% from the year before. In 2002, the
White House director of the
Office of National Drug Control Policy,
John P. Walters, questioned whether the Partnership's campaigns were lessening the use of illegal drugs. He raised concerns of improper interpretations of survey data as well as the federal government shifting $50 million away from other media purchases. Partnership chairman James E. Burke argued before a Senate subcommittee for better targeting of funds for media purchases. The event involved 4,000 "drop spots" to discard unused prescription drugs as a way to lessen opportunities for misuse. Reporter Elizabeth Sprague of
CBS News noticed that the Partnership had not produced a single anti-marijuana PSA since 2005. A 2013 article by the
Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice describes The Partnership as "...always felt free to lie — blatantly, openly, stupidly — about drugs. In fact, lying to obscure the realities of drug abuse in order to protect powerful interests and constituencies is the reason the Partnership exists. The Partnership is the latest in America's long history of phony lobbies — the
Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is the White House branch — that revel in misinformation and misdirected policies that perpetuate the social crises they claim to be attacking because they tacitly profit from making them worse." Some studies suggest its PSAs have had "little proven effect on drug use."
Current approaches The Partnership holds a special position under law within the
National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign of the
Office of National Drug Control Policy. It cooperates with government agencies in initiatives to help reduce drug use. While the organization has focused drug prevention advertising on broadcast media such as
television, it has recently shifted media support to digital technology. Currently, it aims to assist parents in prevention efforts. The organization informs and offers resources for parents and teenagers on its website. The Partnership shifted focus towards teenagers' misuse of prescription drugs. The group was part of a campaign known as
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day which encouraged residents to dispose of their old prescription drugs to nearby city halls or police departments. The Partnership has reduced its commitment to broadcast media and shifted towards reaching out to parents via the
Internet, which increased from 10% of its budget to 31% for 2010. It has focused on web efforts such as the site "Time to Talk" (timetotalk.org), The drugfree.org website attracts a million visitors each month. The agency is making a $55 million three-year commitment with cable operator
Comcast including its "Time to Talk" campaign. ==See also==