DATE=1/23/95

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-172825

TITLE=ANTI-MARIJUANA CAMPAIGN (L)

BYLINE=CHRIS SIMKINS

DATELINE=NEW YORK

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: AN ANTI-DRUG ORGANIZATION LAUNCHED A NEW ADVERTISING

CAMPAIGN TODAY (MONDAY) AIMED AT TRYING TO STOP WHAT U-S DRUG

ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS CALL A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN MARIJUANA USE

AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES. V-O-A'S CORRESPONDENT

CHRIS SIMKINS REPORTS FROM IN NEW YORK.

TEXT: /// ADVERTISEMENT ACT ///

IF I DID NOT STOP SMOKING POT (MARIJUANA) RIGHT NOW I

WOULD PROBABLY BE DEAD. I WAS JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. I

WAS A NORMAL KID AND I USE TO SAY POT IS NEVER GOING TO

DO ANYTHING TO ME OR GETTING HIGH IS NOT GOING TO DO

ANYTHING TO ME. I'M IN CONTROL AND YOU KNOW I USE TO

THINK I WAS A TOUGH GUY JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. I USE

TO WATCH THE COMMERCIALS AND I USE TO SAY TO MYSELF THAT

WILL NEVER BE ME, YOU KNOW AND IT IS ME.

/// END ACT ///

THAT IS ONE OF 12 PUBLIC SERVICE ADVERTISEMENTS PRODUCED BY THE

ANTI-DRUG ORGANIZATION CALLED "PARTNERSHIP FOR A DRUG-FREE

AMERICA." THE ADS WILL BE BROADCAST THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES

ON RADIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS IN THE COMING WEEKS.

AT A NEWS CONFERENCE, THE GROUP UNVEILED ITS CAMPAIGN TARGETING

MARIJUANA USE AMONG TEENAGERS IN THE UNITED STATES. THE

ORGANIZATION BELIEVES THE MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRIES CAN

PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN HELPING SOLVE THE PROBLEM BY

BROADCASTING THE COMMERCIALS.

MEMBERS OF THE PARTNERSHIP SAY THEIR INITIATIVE WAS STARTED AFTER

STUDIES SHOWED AN ALARMING INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF TEENAGERS

WHO SMOKE MARIJUANA. THE SURVEYS INDICATES MARIJUANA USE AMONG

13-YEAR OLDS HAS DOUBLED IN THE LAST THREE YEARS. THEY ALSO SHOW

A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF TEENAGERS ARRESTED WHO

TESTED POSITIVE FOR MARIJUANA.

LLOYD JOHNSTON, WITH THE PARTNERSHIP FOR A DRUG-FREE AMERICA, HAS

BEEN TRACKING ILLEGAL DRUG USE AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE FOR THE LAST 20

YEARS.

/// JOHNSTON ACT ///

IF YOU THINK OF AN AVERAGE CLASSROOM AS BEING MADE UP OF

30 KIDS, ONE KID IN EVERY CLASSROOM IS A DAILY POT USER

TODAY. MUCH LESS THAN IT WAS IN THE HAY DAY OF THE DRUG

EPIDEMIC IN THE LATE 1970'S, BUT NEVERTHELESS SHARPLY UP

FROM WHAT IT HAS BEEN IN RECENT YEARS. I THINK IT IS

FAIR TO SAY WITH MARIJUANA WE ARE RAPIDLY LOSING

HARD-WON GROUND. THE GROWING USE OF MARIJUANA IS ONLY

PART OF THE PROBLEM. THE USE OF MOST OF THE OTHER

ILLICIT DRUGS THAT WE TRACK, AND WE TRACK ALL OF THEM,

HAS BEEN DRIFTING UPWARD FOR A YEAR OR MORE AMONG THESE

SAME CHILDREN.

/// END ACT ///

OFFICIALS WITH THE PARTNERSHIP FOR A DRUG-FREE AMERICA SAY THEY

ARE CONCERNED THAT AN INCREASE IN MARIJUANA WILL LEAD YOUNG

PEOPLE TO TRY STRONGER MORE ADDITIVE DRUGS SUCH AS COCAINE, CRACK

COCAINE, AND HEROIN.

///OPT /// DRUG ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS ATTRIBUTE THE INCREASE IN

TEENAGE MARIJUANA USE TO THE SMALLER NUMBER OF YOUNGSTERS WHO

VIEW THE DRUG AS DANGEROUS. THEY SAY THE DRUG IS GLAMORIZED BY

ROCK MUSIC AND RAP GROUPS. THEY ALSO SAY MEDIA ATTENTION HAS

SHIFTED AWAY FROM EDUCATING YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT THE DANGERS OF

USING DRUGS. ///END OPT///

LEE BROWN, DIRECTOR OF PRESIDENT CLINTON'S NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL

POLICY, SAYS THE ADMINISTRATION BELIEVES RAISING PUBLIC AWARENESS

IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO FIGHT AGAINST DRUG USE.

/// BROWN ACT ///

IT IS CLEAR FROM ALL OF THESE STUDIES THAT OUR

YOUNGSTERS' ATTITUDES ABOUT DRUGS ARE CHANGING. IT IS

EVIDENT THAT MANY OF OUR YOUNGSTERS EITHER NO LONGER

BELIEVE THAT DRUG USE IS HARMFUL OR THEY KNOW THE FACT

AND DO NOT CARE. PRESIDENT CLINTON AND I VIEW THIS AS

A MATTER OF GREAT URGENCY. WE ARE MAKING A CONCERTED

EFFORT TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT TO YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR

PARENTS AND WE HAVE WORKED HARD TO GET THE RESOURCES TO

OUR COMMUNITIES TO HELP WITH THIS MOST IMPORTANT JOB.

/// END ACT ///

OFFICIALS WITH THE PARTNERSHIP FOR A DRUG-FREE AMERICA WARNED

AGAINST ATTEMPTS BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO CUT FUNDING FOR FUTURE

DRUG PREVENTION AND TREATMENT PROGRAMS. THEY SAY WITHOUT THOSE

PROGRAMS IT WILL BE NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO INFORM YOUNG PEOPLE THAT

DRUGS DESTROY LIVES. (SIGNED)

NY/CS/LSF/PT

23-Jan-95 7:44 PM EST (0044 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America