THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

President Clinton Launches Nationwide Anti-Drug Media Campaign

                          World Congress Center
                            Atlanta, Georgia

July 9, 1998

Today, President Clinton launches the national expansion of the Anti-Drug Media Campaign he first proposed in last year's drug strategy and budget. The kick-off of the 5-year, $2 billion Anti-Drug Media Campaign will be linked by satellite to over 150 sites around the country.

The Largest Targeted Effort Ever to Teach Youth About Drugs

The President's Anti-Drug Media Campaign is designed to use the full power of the mass media to change youth attitudes toward drugs. It is designed to let teens know -- when they turn on the television, listen to the radio, or surf the "Net" -- that drugs are dangerous, wrong and can kill you. Activities planned for today's nationwide launch include:

A television "roadblock" that will air this evening -- where every network will show the same counter-drug ad at 9:00 p.m. (EDT). This ad will reach an estimated 85 percent of American television viewers. The roadblock will be supplemented by print ads in the nation's top 100 newspapers and radio ads in the top 100 media markets.

Local media buys to target specific drug problems in certain regions of the country. All new ads will provide the campaign clearinghouse number (800-288-7800), which will be staffed 24 hours and provide information on drug prevention. The campaigns new interactive website for parents and youth (www.projectknow.com.) will also be unveiled.

In January 1998, the campaign began in 12 pilot cities (Atlanta, Baltimore, Boise, Denver, Hartford, Houston, Milwaukee, Portland (OR), San Diego, Sioux City, Tucson, and Washington, D.C.). Since ads started to run in these pilot cities, anti-drug awareness has increased and requests for anti-drug publications increased by more than 300 percent.

More Than an Ad Campaign

     The anti-drug media campaign is more than just ads.  It is 
     coupled with public-private partnerships that will generate 
     a wide range of coordinated anti-drug activities with schools, 
     civic organizations, community anti-drug coalitions, and 
     others.  It also challenges media outlets to match the 
     campaign's efforts -- on a dollar for dollar basis -- with 
     related pro-bono ads or programming time for youth drug
     prevention.

A Record of Accomplishment

     President Clinton has consistently proposed the largest, most
     ambitious anti-drug budgets ever -- and more than $17 billion 
     for FY 99.  His 1998 National Drug Control Strategy is a 
     comprehensive ten-year plan designed to cut drug use and 
     availability in half.  Among other initiatives, the Strategy 
     continues the anti-drug media campaign, improves and expands 
     the Safe and Drug-Free Schools program, shields our borders 
     with 1,000 new Border Patrol officers and advanced drug 
     detection technologies, strengthens law enforcement with new DEA
     agents to crack down on heroin and methamphetamine traffickers, 
     and cuts crime by testing and treating crime-committing addicts.