Picture yourself alcohol and drug free

An effective social marketing campaign is being implemented to decrease early initiation of alcohol and drug use among students in Massachusetts middle schools. The initiative is modeled after the “Be Under Your Own Influence” project where in-school communications campaigns, along with community-based media efforts, led to a significant reduction in teen substance uptake. Research with the youth found that they responded positively to messages promoting their ability to enjoy autonomy and attain their life aspirations. Therefore, this pilot project uses young people's creative input to highlight the advantages of healthy choices via multiple vehicles including a: 1) magazine, 2) DVD, 3) teacher's guide, and 4) series of posters.

The “Picture Yourself Alcohol and Drug Free Campaign,” a project of the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health in collaboration with Geovision, a multicultural social marketing agency, requires little school time. This project team works with school administrators, teachers, and staff in three schools across the Commonwealth to coordinate the project and generate ideas, as well as with the schools' multicultural youth to develop messages and test creative approaches. The team is also successful in leveraging community-based media to support the in-school program.

Annual surveys completed by seventh and eighth graders in three diverse schools assess the visibility of the campaign and also provide data on students' alcohol and drug use beliefs and behaviors. Quantitative and qualitative data will be presented (n = 794).