The media can be a powerful tool to build support for policies and programs that change the environment that supports substance abuse. RWJF has supported a number of projects to raise public awareness of the dangers of substance abuse.

Highlights
Safe Night USA. On June 5, 1999, a million youth in a thousand cities participated in the first national Safe Night USA, which raised awareness of substance abuse and violence. Local events included dances, stage entertainment, karaoke, sports events and swimming parties. The event was simulcast on national television and viewed by more than 1 million people. (See Program Results on ID# 032056.)

"Choose or Lose" on MTV. More than 2 million people watched the premiere of MTV's 2004 "Choose or Lose: Drug Wars" episode, which explored how the intersection of drug addiction, drug abuse and the justice system impacts young people. (See Program Results on ID# 051671.)

"Moyers on Addiction". A five-hour series on addiction and recovery hosted by Bill Moyers addressed tobacco, alcohol- and illicit drug addictions, and examined scientific advances, treatment and prevention possibilities, and public policy issues. The series ran three consecutive nights in March 1998 on public television stations nationally, and drew an average of 5.6 million viewers per night. (See Program Results on ID# 034179.)

Other Relevant Program Results
Other media advocacy prevention projects:

• Public awareness campaigns on underage drinking, binge drinking and substance abuse in Native American communities. (See Program Results on ID# 049824, ID# 032621, ID# 037026 and Healthy Nations.)
• A marketing plan for a substance-free Hispanic market in Los Angeles. (See Program Results on ID# 048592.)

Lessons Learned

• National campaigns can help local efforts. Use centralized national campaigns to help focus local attention on underage drinking-prevention issues. Local efforts have a harder time gaining traction without a national spotlight shining on an issue. (See Program Results on ID# 040938.)
• Provide help to local partners. Local partners need a lot of help from national organizations to sustain a national campaign locally. National organizations with local affiliates need to provide technical and/or financial assistance to affiliates and local partners. (See Program Results on ID# 031826.)
• Make sure national and local efforts target the same audiences. One national campaign combined local events with a national television broadcast. Local events were in white, Hispanic and Asian communities, while the national broadcast largely featured African-American venues and performers. (See Program Results on ID# 032056.)
• Evaluating media efforts is hard. A 2001 conference found that evaluation of media campaigns is difficult due to methodological problems. (See Program Results on ID# 042783.)