|
The Partnership for
a Drug-Free America® launched a campaign in early 2005 designed
to provide hope to those struggling with substance abuse, and to encourage
people to intervene and seek help for drug and alcohol problems. The "Hope,
Help & Healing" campaign is being tested initially in Cincinnati,
OH and Houston, TX in cooperation with the Partnership's alliance partners
in both markets, Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati and The
Council on Alcohol and Drugs Houston. Major funding for the campaign has
been received from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Education and treatment are critical to success in reducing substance
abuse. Twenty-two million people needed treatment for drugs or alcohol
in 2002. Estimates suggest that one in four children lives with a parent
who abuses or is dependent on drugs or alcohol, putting those children
at significantly higher risk of developing this disorder. Creating an
environment supportive of recovery - through information and encouragement
- can guide those in need to seek help, and create a healthier environment
for the many children at risk of developing problems with drugs or alcohol.
The goal of the Partnership's "Hope, Help & Healing" campaign
is to encourage people to get help for themselves or for a loved one who
they believe may have a problem with drugs or alcohol.
Through targeted media communication, including advertising and public
relations, the Partnership seeks to change public attitudes about addiction
and intervention by communicating messages of hope, help and healing.
A key component of the initiative is a comprehensive website (www.interveneNOW.org)
with interactive tools and resources for those seeking information about
how to help themselves or others. The site is not designed to replace
guidance from in-person counseling; rather, it is an initial, confidential
device to prompt further help and information seeking. Because addiction
occurs in all demographic groups, the website also includes a multicultural
feature funded by and developed in cooperation with the Center on Substance
Abuse and Treatment (CSAT). The campaign also will promote local phone
resources available to provide help and guidance to those in need.
The Partnership has worked closely with top scientists, health practitioners
and marketers from its Advisory Board, the National Institute on Drug
Abuse (NIDA), Boston University's Join Together (Demand Treatment!), and
Treatment Research Institute (TRI) at the University of Pennsylvania to
develop the campaign.
All campaign messages have been tested for effectiveness and the campaign
launched in Cincinnati and Houston in early 2005. Quantitative research
is being conducted in both markets, and in control markets, to evaluate
campaign success during the one year test period. Early indications are
that the campaign is having an impact in encouraging people to contact
the website and local phone lines for help.
Click on title of PSA to view commercial
(Must have Windows Media Player)
"SON"
- Visual illustrations of words in Spanish depicting what can happen to
the life of a loved one if their drug addiction goes untreated. (Currently
in test markets in Cincinnati, OH and Houston, TX).
"CANCER"
- Man speaking directly to the camera telling the audience that other
medical ailments are treated more seriously than medical conditions like
drug and alcohol addiction. Demonstrates the need to treat addiction as
a medical problem. (Currently in test markets in Cincinnati, OH and Houston,
TX).
"HEART
DISEASE" - Woman speaking directly to the camera telling the
audience that other medical ailments are treated more seriously than medical
conditions like drug and alcohol addiction. Demonstrates the need to treat
addiction as a medical problem. (Currently in test markets in Cincinnati,
OH and Houston, TX).
"DAUGHTER"
- Visual illustrations of words depicting what can happen to the life
of a loved one if their drug addiction goes untreated. (Currently in test
markets in Cincinnati, OH and Houston, TX).
"EMERGENCY"
- A family gathered around a table at a restaurant watches their father
fall to the ground in a medical emergency and rather than call for help,
they decide to handle it themselves. Illustrates the need to treat drug
addiction with urgent care. (Currently in test markets in Cincinnati,
OH and Houston, TX).
"WAKE-UP"
- A young man in the midst of an operation wakes up and walks out of the
operating room exclaiming to his doctors that he's fine and can handle
his problems on his own. Underscores the importance that drug treatment
is not a problem to be undertaken alone. (Currently in test markets in
Cincinnati, OH and Houston, TX).
"WHAT
ARE YOU WAITING FOR" - Encourages family and loved ones of those
battling drug and alcohol addiction to seek help and intervene in the
lives of their loved ones before they hit rock bottom. Stresses the need
to take action early. (Currently in test markets in Cincinnati, OH and
Houston, TX).
"WRECK"
- By following the driver of a car who is under the influence of drugs,
"Wreck" shows a gripping example of the detrimental effects
of drug abuse and addiction not only the user, but also on the user's
family and loved ones. The striking visuals drive home the point that
drug addiction leaves many victims in its path. (Currently in test markets
in Cincinnati, OH and Houston, TX).
Partnership for a Drug-Free America
Copyright © 2005. All rights reserved.
|
Print Version