Partnership to End Addiction, first known as the Partnership for a Drug-Free America (PDFA) then later as the Partnership at DrugFree.org, and The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, is a

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

-based

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

which runs campaigns to prevent teenage drug and alcohol use in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It is notable for mobilizing volunteer talent "against a single social problem" to help young people "live their lives free of drug and alcohol abuse," and to assist parents in prevention efforts. The organization gets input from scientists, specialists in communication, researchers and others, and offers resources for parents and teenagers on its website. It focused efforts to "unsell" illegal drugs such as

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally for its euphoria, euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from t ...

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...

prescription drugs A prescription drug (also prescription medication or prescription medicine) is a pharmaceutical drug that legally requires a medical prescription to be dispensed. In contrast, over-the-counter drugs can be obtained without a prescription. The rea ...

marijuana Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...

MDMA 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly seen in Tablet (pharmacy), tablet form (ecstasy) and crystal form (molly or mandy), is a potent empathogen–entactogen with stimulant properties primarily used for Recreational dru ...

, and others, as well as discouraging the use of alcohol and

nitrous oxide Nitrous oxide (dinitrogen oxide or dinitrogen monoxide), commonly known as laughing gas, nitrous, or nos, is a chemical compound, an oxide of nitrogen with the formula . At room temperature, it is a colourless non-flammable gas, and has a ...

, by breaking away from a standard public service approach and doing a coordinated media campaign. While the organization has focused drug prevention advertising on broadcast media such as

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

, there are signs in recent years that it is shifting media support to emerging channels such as video-on-demand, digital technology and particularly the Internet. The organization's marketing experience was written up as a 58-page marketing "case study" for study by students at the

Harvard Business School Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate business school of Harvard University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top business schools in the world and offers a large full-time MBA p ...

. The organization is perhaps best known for its iconic TV ad ''

This Is Your Brain on Drugs ''This Is Your Brain on Drugs'' was a large-scale US anti- narcotics campaign by Partnership for a Drug-Free America (PDFA) launched in 1987, that used three televised public service announcements (PSAs) and a related poster campaign. 1987 ver ...

'', but it had made over 3,000 ads by 2011 while pursuing a flexible strategy. ShauntayHintonRedRibbon2002

History

Strategic vision

In the mid-1980s, a small group of advertising professionals with wide–ranging experience on diverse campaigns, and working in conjunction with a nonprofit trade association called the

American Association of Advertising Agencies The American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's) is a U.S. trade association for advertising agencies. founded in 1917. It serves over 700+ member agencies across 1,300 offices, which control more than 85% of total U.S. advertising spend. ...

, proposed a marketing campaign not to sell one more product or service, but rather to un-sell teenaged drug use. The group was formed officially in 1985. Among the initial group was Los Angeles "ad guru" Phillip Joanou, Thomas Hedrick, Doria Steedman, and

Ginna Marston Ginna Sulcer-Marston (born Ginna Sulcer February 19, 1958) is an American advertising executive who has worked on anti-drug public service advertising campaigns at the Partnership for a Drug Free America, a nonprofit consortium of advertising pro ...

from the Ted Bates advertising agency. The group saw the merits of using a focused approach similar to that for a commercial product or service. In earlier decades, public service ads or PSAs had been shown by networks whenever it had been convenient for their schedules, regardless of the intended audience of the ad. Many PSAs aired late at night when most people had gone to sleep. In other situations, networks used PSAs as filler when slots opened up in their commercial lineup regardless of any consideration for reaching specific audiences. Marston urged, instead, a targeted focused anti-drug campaign similar to one for selling a specific brand of cereal or an automobile, but instead, the campaign would ''unsell'' drugs or rather ''sell'' the benefits of ''not using drugs''. Like a commercial campaign, the effort would conduct

marketing research Marketing research is the systematic gathering, recording, and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data about issues relating to marketing products and services. The goal is to identify and assess how changing elements of the marketing mix i ...

by studying teenagers and parents in depth using

focus group A focus group is a group interview involving a small number of demographically similar people or participants who have other common traits/experiences. Their reactions to specific researcher/evaluator-posed questions are studied. Focus groups are ...

s to understand their

motivation Motivation is the reason for which humans and other animals initiate, continue, or terminate a behavior at a given time. Motivational states are commonly understood as forces acting within the agent that create a disposition to engage in goal-dire ...

s, as well as conduct

quantitative research Quantitative research is a research strategy that focuses on quantifying the collection and analysis of data. It is formed from a deductive approach where emphasis is placed on the testing of theory, shaped by empiricist and positivist philosop ...

using nationwide random-sample surveys as part of a recurring longitudinal investigation. Hedrick agreed that the group knew "next to nothing about illegal drugs and the youthful target audience for their ads," according to a report in the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

''. These realizations led to the creation of a "full-time and highly aggressive research staff" according to one report. The team reached out to knowledgeable activists such as Carole Fields-Arnold, who Marston later described as "one of those rare people who is street smart, and can be tough when needed, but also gets everyone to look up and see the light, dream a bigger dream than they thought they could and lock arms to reach for it together." The organization was loosely modeled along the lines of a standard advertising agency, with a creative director post and "account executives" to spearhead specific efforts. While the campaign approach was a radical departure from standard PSA approaches, the group was following a tried–and– true advertising strategy: research, choosing a marketing objective, writing advertisements to meet that objective, plus focused efforts to persuade that audience in chosen media at specific times. The intent was to change

behavior Behavior (American English) or behaviour (British English) is the range of actions and mannerisms made by individuals, organisms, systems or artificial entities in some environment. These systems can include other systems or organisms as wel ...

by changing attitudes. Further, the agency did continual reassessments: were attitudes changing? was drug use becoming less prominent? This

feedback Feedback occurs when outputs of a system are routed back as inputs as part of a chain of cause-and-effect that forms a circuit or loop. The system can then be said to ''feed back'' into itself. The notion of cause-and-effect has to be handled ...

helped the group decide if goals were being met, and allowed them to change tactics accordingly. An account of the overall idea: The agency found itself able to solicit help from many sources, for free. Copywriters often competed for assignments on a

pro bono ( en, 'for the public good'), usually shortened to , is a Latin phrase for professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment. In the United States, the term typically refers to provision of legal services by legal professionals for pe ...

basis. The agency finagled free media exposure from print media and broadcast networks including spots during

prime time Prime time or the peak time is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for a television show. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...

. Later, when advertising was directed at inner-city youth, media was selected to target 37 large cities. The organization has turned to media planning and placement experts who work, as well, on a pro bono basis. One report suggested that there was a wealth of creative talent vying for a chance for assignments. The group was prepared to feature rather risqué push–the–envelope ads; for example, one advertisement showed a girl with the "barrel of a revolver pushed up one nostril and a father singing a lullaby to his little daughter from his coffin." Doria Steedman described the ads as neither pretty nor polite nor nice but designed deliberately to "disturb and upset." A bandwagon effect happened soon thereafter: big advertising agencies including

Saatchi & Saatchi Saatchi & Saatchi is a British multinational communications and advertising agency network with 114 offices in 76 countries and over 6,500 staff. It was founded in 1970 and is currently headquartered in London. The parent company of the agency gr ...

J. Walter Thompson J. Walter Thompson (JWT) was an advertisement holding company incorporated in 1896 by American advertising pioneer James Walter Thompson. The company was acquired in 1987 by multinational holding company WPP plc, and in November 2018, WPP merge ...

, BBDO Worldwide joined the consortium. Key executives from

The New York Times Company The New York Times Company is an American mass media company that publishes ''The New York Times''. Its headquarters are in Manhattan, New York City. History The company was founded by Henry Jarvis Raymond and George Jones in New York City. T ...

Procter & Gamble The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/consumer hea ...

USA Network USA Network (simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. It was originally launched in 1977 as Madison ...

and others such as Daniel Burke of

Capital Cities A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, Department (country subdivision), department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city ...

sat on the Partnership's board of directors.

Funding

The Partnership found office space on the 16th floor of the

Chrysler Building The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper on the East Side of Manhattan in New York City, at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. At , it is the tallest brick building in the world with a steel fra ...

in New York City. By 1993, it had 30 employees, according to one estimate. An early grant of $300,000 from the

helped considerably to pay for rent, salaries, and other expenses, and subsequent funds were provided by generous grants from the

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is an American philanthropic organization. It is the largest one focused solely on health. Based in Princeton, New Jersey, the foundation focuses on access to health care, public health, health equity, ...

, a

Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine ...

-based philanthropic organization focusing exclusively on health care and particularly

substance use disorder Substance use disorder (SUD) is the persistent use of drugs (including alcohol) despite substantial harm and adverse consequences as a result of their use. Substance use disorders are characterized by an array of mental/emotional, physical, and ...

s. The foundation's founder,

Robert Wood Johnson II Robert Wood "General" Johnson II (April 4, 1893 – January 30, 1968) was an American businessman. He was one of the sons of Robert Wood Johnson I, the co-founder of Johnson & Johnson. He turned the family business into one of the world's l ...

, had built the family firm of

Johnson & Johnson Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is an American multinational corporation founded in 1886 that develops medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and consumer packaged goods. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company i ...

into an international health care products manufacturer, and he left the foundation a generous bequest of stock upon his death in 1968. In addition to these revenue sources, the organization also holds fundraisers, including an annual awards dinner; in 2007, one awards dinner at the

Waldorf-Astoria Hotel The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel and condominium residence in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The structure, at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, is a 47-story Art Deco landmark designed by architects Schultze ...

raised $2.2 million.

''This Is Your Brain on Drugs''

Analysis of research suggested that consumers decided about possibly doing drugs based on two basic considerations: the risk involved, and the perception of social disapproval. And campaigns were targeted towards both mindsets: that using drugs ''was'' risky and that it was ''uncool'' among peer groups. Flickr - cyclonebill - Spejlæg

The organization first entered the wider public consciousness in 1987, with its ''

'' broadcast and print public service advertisements (PSAs). The advertisement used the analogy that if a person's brain is an egg, then using illegal drugs would be like frying it. This advertisement was shown repeatedly on broadcast media to the extent that it became a hallmark for the organization. ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'' magazine described the advertisement as "iconic". It has been recognized by marketing professionals as "one of the most influential" ad campaigns in the

history of marketing History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

, according to numerous sources, and has been applauded as one of the "most unforgettable images in modern American advertising." ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

'' named it as one of the "top 100 ads of all time". The ad became the organization's "calling card", according to one account. * Student Taia Lubitz felt the "brain on drugs" commercial was not accurate, since she saw fellow students smoking marijuana whose brains were clearly not frying. She claimed that the ad "stirred her curiosity" and that the scare tactic was really more of a "dare" tactic. * Student Sepideh Modrek said that "The fried egg commercial really scared me when I was in high school. I remember picturing that egg in the frying pan and thinking that it wasn't worth it." The agency was able to solicit generous donations of free media time with an estimated worth of "$1 million worth of advertising every day" for more than a decade, totaling more than $2 billion in free space and time, according to one estimate. Copywriters from big-city agencies in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and elsewhere from "250 big-name ad agencies" contributed their creative expertise. Smoking Crack

There were other commercials with a bite, too. For example, in one commercial an angry father grills his son about where he learned to smoke pot, and his teenage son retorts ironically: "YOU, alright!? I learned it by watching you!" with the narrator concluding, "Parents who use drugs have children who use drugs."

Coordination with federal anti-drug efforts

The agency coordinated efforts with

government officials An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority, (either their own or that of their su ...

in their efforts to stem illegal drugs. However, the relationship between the Partnership and the federal government was sometimes marked by disagreements. In 2002, the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

director of the

Office of National Drug Control Policy The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is a component of the Executive Office of the President of the United States. The Director of the ONDCP, colloquially known as the Drug Czar, heads the office. "Drug Czar" was a term first used ...

, John P. Walters, questioned whether the Partnership's campaigns were lessening the use of illegal drugs. Partnership chairman James E. Burke argued before a Senate subcommittee for better targeting of funds for media purchases. Burke complained of improper interpretations of survey data as well as the federal government shifting $50 million away from vital media purchases. Burke called for simplicity and focus: The Partnership holds a special position under law within the

National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign is a current domestic government propaganda campaign in the United States conducted by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) within the Executive Office of the President of the United States ...

of the

. It cooperates with government agencies in many initiatives to try to help reduce drug use. In 2010, it worked with the

Drug Enforcement Administration The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA; ) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating drug trafficking and distribution within th ...

in 2010 on a public relations event entitled "National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day." The event involved 4,000 so-called "drop spots" for people to discard extra prescription drugs as a way to lessen the temptation for their misuse.

The 1990s

In 1989,

chief executive A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

James E. Burke took over leadership of the organization. He had been instrumental in growing the large pharmaceutical firm as well as adeptly handling a difficult crisis "in a forthright way" with "decisive leadership" when a

terrorist Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...

had poisoned bottles of one of the company's products and caused several deaths. Burke brought new contacts and savvy to the operation and a reputation for the highest ethical standards. Cannabis Plant

In 1992, the Partnership switched focus somewhat to targeting inner-city youth, where the drug problem had been more severe, and ran a campaign led by

. Research suggested most children felt "nearly alone in their hostility toward drugs," so an effort was made to show them that they were not alone. In one television commercial, a camera zooms in and out on two youngsters, one of whom is trying to get the other to try a marijuana cigarette, but the other youngster declines; the tagline says "A friend who offers you drugs is not your friend." It was a "strikingly different tack" from the milder

Just Say No "Just Say No" was an advertising campaign prevalent during the 1980s and early 1990s as a part of the U.S.-led war on drugs, aiming to discourage children from engaging in illegal recreational drug use by offering various ways of saying ''no' ...

campaign championed by previous first lady

Nancy Reagan Nancy Davis Reagan (; born Anne Frances Robbins; July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016) was an American film actress and First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989. She was the second wife of president Ronald Reagan. Reagan was born in N ...

. Commercials written by a former Wieden & Kennedy copywriter were "infused with menace and melodrama" according to one report. Some spots by a Goodby, Berlin & Silverstein copy team hinted that the earlier ''Just Say No'' had been simplistic. Marston explained the utility of depicting young people "resisting drugs in real situations": The organization picked up real-life stories about the effects of drug use and used these stories at times in its commercials. For example, a 28-year-old former drug user met for lunch with the Partnership's Doria Steedman, and at one point "pulled out her

alse The ALSE (Apollo Lunar Sounder Experiment) (also known as Scientific Experiment S-209, according to NASA designations) was a ground-penetrating radar (subsurface sounder) experiment that flew on the Apollo 17 mission. Mission and Science This expe ...

teeth" to show the ravages of the drug use; this idea was used in a subsequent commercial. At the same time, different drugs were coming in and out of vogue, sometimes introduced by films such as ''

Trainspotting Trainspotting may refer to: * Trainspotting (hobby), an amateur interest in railways/railroads * ''Trainspotting'' (novel), a 1993 novel by Irvine Welsh ** ''Trainspotting'' (film), a 1996 film based on the novel *** ''Trainspotting'' (soundtr ...

''. In 1994, an independent assessment from the

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM) is the medical school of Johns Hopkins University, a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1893, the School of Medicine shares a campus with the Johns Hopkins Hospi ...

suggested that the anti-drug campaign was having a measurable "deterrence effect" on American adolescents: Research efforts suggested that a key metric for the agency was getting preteens and teenagers to wait longer and longer before having their "first taste of drugs" since the longer wait period meant that it became less and less likely that a child would become a regular drug user. But it had to contend with a pop culture that often used drugs to promote partying, feeling good, and as a stimulus for musical creativity. A music executive commented anonymously in 1996: Smashing Pumpkins@Le Grand Rex, 2007

In 1996, Partnership director Ginna Marston noticed, after examining survey data, trends indicating that not just teenagers, but

preteen Preadolescence is a stage of human development following middle childhood and preceding adolescence.New Oxford American Dictionary. 2nd Edition. 2005. Oxford University Press. It commonly ends with the beginning of puberty. Preadolescence is c ...

s were showing greater smoking of

and that the problem could no longer be viewed as a "teenage problem only." At a

press conference A press conference or news conference is a media event in which notable individuals or organizations invite journalists to hear them speak and ask questions. Press conferences are often held by politicians, corporations, non-governmental organ ...

, Marston told reporters of a new media blitz aimed at "getting parents involved in the war against drugs. Survey data showed marijuana use had gone from 230,000 children in 1995 to 460,000 children in 1996, according to the report. In addition, there continued to be high-profile deaths of celebrities who had overdosed, such as

Jonathan Melvoin Jonathan David Melvoin (December 6, 1961 – July 12, 1996) was an American musician, active in the 1980s and 1990s. Early life He was the son of Constance (née Ives) and Mike Melvoin, keyboardist for The Wrecking Crew, and brother of ...

of the group

The Smashing Pumpkins The Smashing Pumpkins (also referred to as simply Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band from Chicago. Formed in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, bassist D'arcy Wretzky, guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Chamb ...

, which put pressure on the music industry to take a serious look at drug influence in pop music. While Rock 'n' roll music has been described as "steeped in rebellion," there is a long list of musicians who have used heroin, including

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

Buffy Sainte-Marie Buffy Sainte-Marie, (born Beverly Sainte-Marie, February 20, 1941) is an Indigenous Canadian-American (Piapot Cree Nation) singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. While working in these are ...

Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, poet and songwriter who was the lead vocalist of the Rock music, rock band the Doors. Due to his wild personality, poetic lyrics, distinctive voice, unpredicta ...

Jerry Garcia Jerome John Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was an American musician best known for being the principal songwriter, lead guitarist, and a vocalist with the rock band Grateful Dead, which he co-founded and which came to prominence ...

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and musician. One of the most successful and widely known Rock music, rock stars of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and "electric" stage ...

and

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

Kurt Cobain Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994) was an American musician who served as the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter of the rock band Nirvana. Through his angst-fueled songwriting and anti-establishment persona ...

Shannon Hoon Richard Shannon Hoon (September 26, 1967 – October 21, 1995) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He was the lead singer of the band Blind Melon from 1990 until his death in 1995. Early life Richard Shannon Hoon was born on Sept ...

Courtney Love Courtney Michelle Love (née Harrison; born July 9, 1964) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and actress. A figure in the alternative and grunge scenes of the 1990s, her career has spanned four decades. She rose to prominence as t ...

Scott Weiland Scott Richard Weiland (; né Kline, October 27, 1967 – December 3, 2015) was an American singer and songwriter. During a career spanning three decades, Weiland was best known as the lead singer of the rock band Stone Temple Pilots from 1 ...

Anthony Kiedis Anthony Kiedis ( ; born November 1, 1962) is an American singer and songwriter. He is a founding member and lead vocalist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Kiedis and his fellow band members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fa ...

Layne Staley Layne Thomas Staley (born Layne Rutherford Staley; August 22, 1967 – April 5, 2002) was an American musician, songwriter and the original lead singer of the rock band Alice in Chains, which rose to international fame in the early 1990s as part ...

David Gahan David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

and others. While heroin can give a "relaxing, euphoric high" lasting for six hours, the body grows increasingly tolerant and more is needed until addicts must keep using the drug to stave off withdrawal. The Partnership turned images of glamour upside down by juxtaposing the illusory world of drugs versus the reality: {{Blockquote, Glamorous parties, a night on the town.
With beautiful people, it's always around!
Everybody's doin' it, doin' it. ...
Her-o-in! For the rest of your life!
:Television jingle accompanying black-and-white footage of a grimy boy twitching and retching into a filthy toilet Since the agency had been tracking usage and attitudes, it adapted to changing circumstances. Marston and other executives adjusted their media strategy accordingly as fast-moving trends made one drug "hot" while others fell out of favor. The campaign was primarily oriented towards television and print media.{{cite news , author= Jerry Crowe , title= Heroin Deaths Fuel Music Industry's Soul-Searching , newspaper= Los Angeles Times , date= July 14, 1996 , url= http://articles.latimes.com/1996-07-14/news/mn-24199_1_heroin-abuse/2 , access-date= 2011-12-24 An analysis of the Partnership's efforts by ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...

'' magazine around this time suggested that it had earned "a single-brand advertising clout" comparable to

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...

while noting that the fast-food franchisor outspent the Partnership by a ratio of "2 to 1."

The Partnership coordinated efforts with ''Drug Czar''

Barry McCaffrey Barry Richard McCaffrey (born November 17, 1942) is a retired United States Army general and current news commentator, professor and business consultant who served in President Bill Clinton's Cabinet as the Director of the Office of National Dru ...

, a retired general who was the director of the

, in targeting efforts against heroin. McCaffrey endorsed the Partnership's campaigns and spoke at their news conferences. Later, it worked with state alliance programs. In 1998, Marston noticed how game maker

Fox Interactive Fox Interactive was an American video game publisher based in Los Angeles, California. The company published games based on 20th Century Fox properties, yet also published several original titles, such as '' Croc: Legend of the Gobbos''. History ...

had marketed its game ''N2O'' as being the "ultimate rush" and how game designers had used "the music and images of the drug-infused rave scene to appeal to hip consumers", according to one report. Marston criticized the blatant approach: {{Blockquote, ... just one example of the kind of stuff that we see all over now, especially on the Internet – information that glamorizes drugs and exploits the language and imagery of drug culture.,

, 1998 During these years, it was a continuing effort to persuade media sources to provide the best spots and airtime. Newspapers such as the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' and ''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' had generously given prime full-page spots for their ads, but "few other papers have been so generous", according to one account. Zemeckis1997(cropped)

The Partnership got some help from the pop culture movie industry. In 1999, filmmaker

Robert Zemeckis Robert Lee Zemeckis (born May 14, 1952) is an American filmmaker. He first came to public attention as the director of the action-adventure romantic comedy ''Romancing the Stone'' (1984), the science-fiction comedy ''Back to the Future'' film tr ...

made a documentary entitled ''The Pursuit of Happiness: Smoking, Drinking and Drugging in the 20th Century'' which made an in-depth examination of the problem of drug use, covering 100 years and interviewing professionals and historians.{{cite news , title= Robert Zemeckis on Smoking, Drinking and Drugging in the 20th Century: In Pursuit of Happiness (2000) , quote= ... A feature-length documentary on smoking, drinking and drugging in the 20th century. Through interviews with historians and professionals in the drug treatment field interspersed with film clips ... , year= 2000 , url= https://movies.nytimes.com/person/989551/Ginna-Marston/filmography , archive-url= https://archive.today/20130130105733/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/989551/Ginna-Marston/filmography , url-status= dead , archive-date= 2013-01-30 , department= Movies & TV Dept. , work=

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

, access-date= 2011-12-24 Zemeckis included Marston in the documentary film. The film suggested, among other things, that "American society has habitually criminalized the substances used primarily by minorities" such as opium for Asian immigrants and marijuana and cocaine for

African-Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

while legalizing those of white adults such as beer, alcohol and tobacco. In addition, the documentary suggested that the 1920–1933

alcohol prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic be ...

was a result of entrepreneurs such as

Henry Ford Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist, business magnate, founder of the Ford Motor Company, and chief developer of the assembly line technique of mass production. By creating the first automobile that mi ...

needing sober assembly line workers. Marston commented later in the ''New York Times'': {{Blockquote, Considering that it wasn't intended to be an antidrug piece, but a comprehensive and sophisticated treatment of a very complex issue, I thought it was great., Ginna Marston, 1999{{cite news , author= Andy Meisler , title= Television/Radio; Getting Down to What Makes America High , newspaper= The New York Times , date= August 29, 1999 , url= https://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/29/arts/television-radio-getting-down-to-what-makes-america-high.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm , access-date= 2011-12-24

The 2000s

The firm continued its efforts to make drug use look uncool, in part by getting celebrities to help them break the "age-old stereotype of sex, drugs, rock-'n'- roll going together with everything cool", according to Marston commenting on ''

CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...

''. Celebrities such as

Lauryn Hill Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. She is often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, as well as being one of the most influential musicians of her generation. ...

and the

Dixie Chicks The Chicks (previously known as Dixie Chicks) are an American country music band from Dallas, Texas. Since 1995, the band has consisted of Natalie Maines (lead vocals, guitar) and sisters Martie Maguire (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar) and E ...

came forward to say they're "drug-free".{{cite news , title= Transcripts: Newsroom for February 3, 2000 , publisher= CNN , date= February 3, 2000 , url= http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0002/03/nr.00.html , access-date= 2011-12-24 In 2002, Burke retired as chairman, and was replaced by Roy J. Bostock.{{cite news , author= Courtney Kane , title= The Media Business: Advertising — Addenda — A Succession At Anti-Drug Group , newspaper= The New York Times , quote= James E. Burke will soon step down after 13 years as chairman of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America in New York ... , date= October 23, 2002 , url= https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/23/business/the-media-business-advertising-addenda-a-succession-at-anti-drug-group.html?ref=jameseburke , access-date= 2011-12-24 Tracking research showed a decline in usage of alcohol and cigarettes, and that use of the club drug ecstasy had declined among teens.{{cite news , author= Kathleen Fackelmann , title= Survey: Teen drug use on decline , newspaper= USA Today , quote= For the first time, use of the club drug Ecstasy dropped among teens in the United States, and use of cigarettes and alcohol continued to decline, according to a just-released survey. This year's annual Monitoring the Future survey tracked substance use among 44,000 eighth-, 10th- and 12th-grade students. The survey has been tracking teens' drug use since 1975. , date= December 16, 2002 , url= https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002-12-16-teens-drugs_x.htm , access-date= 2011-12-24 The Partnership had been tracking ecstasy use since 1996, and found that 52% of students were aware of the dangers associated with its use as compared to 46% from the year before. Marston said: {{Blockquote, You still have way too many kids using a drug that could kill them.,

, 2002 In the mid-2000s, the Partnership gradually shifted away from de-emphasizing the perils of

and focused more on targets such as prescription drugs, possibly responding to a shift of emphasis by the U.S. government as well as possible indications of declining marijuana usage by teens.{{cite news , author= Elizabeth Sprague , title= Pot No Longer Focus of Anti-Drug Campaigns , publisher= CBS News , date= November 9, 2009 , url= http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/15/national/main5161388.shtml , access-date= 2011-12-24 Reporter Elizabeth Sprague of ''

CBS News CBS News is the news division of the American television and radio service CBS. CBS News television programs include the ''CBS Evening News'', ''CBS Mornings'', news magazine programs '' CBS News Sunday Morning'', '' 60 Minutes'', and '' 48 H ...

'' noticed that the Partnership had not produced a single anti-marijuana PSA since 2005. In a conflicting report in 2011, a study suggested that there were "sharp increases in the use of marijuana" as well as ecstasy after "years of declining use."{{cite news , author= David W Freeman , title= Teen drug abuse rising: Why? , publisher= CBS News , date= April 6, 2011 , url= http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20051430-10391704.html , access-date= 2011-12-24 The "frying pan" ad was described as a "relic" in one report, although ''

New York Sun ''The New York Sun'' is an American online newspaper published in Manhattan; from 2002 to 2008 it was a daily newspaper distributed in New York City. It debuted on April 16, 2002, adopting the name, motto, and masthead of the earlier New York ...

'' reporter Amanda Gordon noted that the organization gives gold-plated frying pan awards (mounted under glass) at fundraisers.{{cite news , author= Amanda Gordon , title= Parents and Tennagers Rock for 'Drug-Free America' , newspaper= New York Sun , date= November 28, 2007 , url= http://www.nysun.com/out-and-about/parents-and-tennagers-rock-for-drug-free-america/67121/ , access-date= 2011-12-24 By 2007, the agency had produced over 3,000 spots from 1985 to 2007. In 2010, the organization changed its name from ''Partnership for a Drug-Free America'' to ''Partnership at Drugfree.org,'' possibly as a result of increased emphasis on websites and Internet appeals.{{cite news , title= Accounts and People of Note in the Ad Industry , newspaper= The New York Times , date= December 13, 2010 , url= https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/13/business/media/13adnewsletter3.html , access-date= 2011-12-24

Current approaches

In 2011, a study found that marijuana use was increasing, as well as the use of ecstasy and found that 45% of teenagers did not think drinking alcohol was "a big deal."{{cite news , title= Study: Teens see binge drinking as no big deal , publisher= CBS News , quote= When asked if they see "great risk" in drinking that much, almost half the teens questioned — 45 percent — didn't see it as a big deal. ... , date= April 6, 2011 , url= http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/04/06/health/main20051267.shtml , access-date= 2011-12-24 {{cite news , author= Ben Tracy , title= Teenage drug abuse skyrockets , publisher= CBS Evening News , date= April 6, 2011 , url= http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/04/06/eveningnews/main20051485.shtml , access-date= 2011-12-24 The Partnership was focusing more on teenagers' misuse of prescription drugs; one study they did suggested that on any given day, 2,500 American teens get high for the first time by using prescription medication. The group was part of a campaign known as ''National Prescription Drug Take Back Day'' which encouraged residents to dispose of their old prescription drugs to nearby city halls or police departments. Partnership executive Sean Clarkin suggests that parents sit down with their teens and ask "what's going on" as a possible beginning of a conversation.{{cite news , author= Sabriya Rice , title= Want to keep your child drug-free? Here are five signs of possible trouble , publisher= CNN , date= July 22, 2010 , url= http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/07/22/child.drug.free/index.html , access-date= 2011-12-24 There was one report that the Partnership will be reducing its commitment to broadcast media in favor of an approach of reaching out to parents,{{cite news , title= About Us. , publisher= The Partnership at DrugFree.org , quote= (from the webpage) The Partnership at Drugfree.org is here for parents, ... , date= 2011-12-26 , url= http://www.drugfree.org/about , access-date= 2011-12-26 particularly via the

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...

, which increased from 10% of its budget to 31% for 2010.{{cite news , author= Stuart Elliott , title= Advertising; Public Service Groups Follow the Audience , newspaper= The New York Times , date= September 27, 2007 , url= https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C06E4DA1F3EF934A1575AC0A9619C8B63 , access-date= 2011-12-24 It has focused on web efforts such as the site "Time to Talk" (timetotalk.org), and is exploring the possibility of advertising on cell phones and possibly in videogames. The drugfree.org website, according to one source, attracts a million visitors each month. The agency is making a $55 million three-year commitment with cable operator

Comcast Comcast Corporation (formerly known as American Cable Systems and Comcast Holdings),Before the AT&T merger in 2001, the parent company was Comcast Holdings Corporation. Comcast Holdings Corporation now refers to a subsidiary of Comcast Corpora ...

including its "Time to Talk" campaign. There was a report that it will sponsor a toll-free hotline.

Research findings and tracking

The Partnership has consistently done a tracking study as part of an ongoing

longitudinal study A longitudinal study (or longitudinal survey, or panel study) is a research design that involves repeated observations of the same variables (e.g., people) over short or long periods of time (i.e., uses longitudinal data). It is often a type of obs ...

to assess attitudes towards drugs and alcohol. The survey research helped it keep on top of trends, although since in many cases research organizations were providing studies without cost, the Partnership had less ability to impose a strict study design on some of the efforts. As a result, some surveys, using different questions and designs, conflicted with other survey data, although on key tracking measures, the Partnership was able to follow shifts in teenaged awareness and attitudes towards drugs.{{cite news , author= Stephanie Steinberg , title= Teen girls say kids more likely to drink, do drugs to cope , newspaper= USA Today , date= June 26, 2010 , url= https://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-06-29-teenalcoholuse29_ST_N.htm , access-date= 2011-12-24 {, class="wikitable sortable" , - , + Partnership findings and reports , - !Year !Key findings !Survey sponsor !Survey size !Notes , - , align="right", 1996 , align="left", Marijuana use among US preteens doubled , align="right", , align="right", , align="right", , - , align="right", 2002 , align="left", More than 2/3 of teen girls say drugs helps kids cope with problems at home , align="right", MetLife Foundation , align="right", 3,287 teenagers , align="right", , - , align="right", 2002 , align="left", Use of ecstasy, cigarettes, alcohol declining , align="right", , align="right", 44,000 , align="right", , - , align="right", 2007 , align="left", Drug use among teenagers is declining , align="right", SAMHSA, U. Michigan , align="right", , align="right", , - , align="right", 2007 , align="left", U.S. schools "drug-infested"; teen drug use declining; Percent saying some students "high or drunk" increased from 2002 to 2007 , align="right", (CASA) at Columbia Univ. , align="right", 1,063 , align="right", {{cite news , author= Sharon Jayson , title= Schools 'infested' with drugs? It depends , newspaper= USA Today , date= August 15, 2007 , url= https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-08-15-drugs-schools_N.htm , access-date= 2011-12-24 , - , align="right", 2009 , align="left", 1 in 5 teens abused prescription drugs; 1 in 3 smoked marijuana , align="right", PDFA , align="right", , align="right", {{cite news , author= Valerie Ulene , title= Parents: Kill a buzz, save a life , newspaper= Los Angeles Times , date= June 8, 2009 , url= http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jun/08/health/he-themd8 , access-date= 2011-12-24 , - , align="right", 2010 , align="left", Boys more likely to drink to relax socially; 70% teen girls agree that "drugs help kids deal with problems at home"; 50% teen girls say drugs help them "forget problems" , align="right", PDFA & MetLife Foundation , align="right", , align="right", {{cite news , author= Aina Hunter , title= Teen Girls Drinking More: Girls "Self-Medicate" with Booze, Drugs, Says Survey , publisher= CBS News , date= June 30, 2010 , url= http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20009264-10391704.html , access-date= 2011-12-24 , - , align="right", 2011 , align="left", 2,500 U.S. teens use prescription drugs each day to get high for first time , align="right", PDFA , align="right", , align="right", {{cite news , title= Prescription Drug Take Back Day to be held Saturday , newspaper= Los Angeles Times , date= October 27, 2011 , url= http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/10/prescription-drug-take-back-saturday.html , access-date= 2011-12-24 , - , align="right", 2011 , align="left", Sharp increases in marijuana, ecstasy use; Teen attitudes towards

underage drinking The legal drinking age is the minimum age at which a person can legally consume alcoholic beverages. The minimum age alcohol can be legally consumed can be different from the age when it can be purchased in some countries. These laws vary between ...

"more relaxed"; Most teen drinkers had first drink by age 15; 25% had first drink by age 12 , align="right", Partnership at Drugfree.org , align="right", , align="right", , - , align="right", 2011 , align="left", Ecstasy use by teens up 67% during 2008–2011; One in ten teens use ecstasy; marijuana use up 22% , align="right", PDFA , align="right", , align="right", , - , align="right", 2011 , align="left", 45% of teens don't see drinking alcohol as a "big deal" upward trends in marijuana and ecstasy among gr. 9-12 , align="right", Partnership at Drugfree.org , align="right", , align="right" , , - , 2012 , Only about 1 in 10 people with addiction involving alcohol or drugs other than nicotine receive any form of treatment. , (CASA) at Columbia Univ. , 2,805 , , - , 2012 , 86% of American high school students said that some classmates drink, use drugs and smoke during the school day. , (CASA) at Columbia Univ. , 1,003 teens , , - , 2012 , Teens that had a less than a very good relationship with their father were: Almost 4 times likelier to have used marijuana, Twice as likely to have used alcohol, and 2.5 times as likely to have used tobacco , (CASA) at Columbia Univ. , 1,003 teens , , - , 2013 , Roughly half of the parents in the survey report having used marijuana before. The number is somewhat higher (62 percent) for parents living in Colorado. , Partnership at Drugfree.org , 1,603 , , - , 2013 , One in four teens has misused an Rx drug at least once in their lifetime – a 33 percent increase over the past five years. , Partnership at Drugfree.org , , , - , 2013 , Individuals who engaged in pathological ''and'' underage drinking made up 25.9% of the American population, but consumed 47.3% of all alcohol consumed by underage drinkers. , Partnership at Drugfree.org , ,

Awards

Over the past two decades, its public service advertisements have grown to target other drugs like heroin, methamphetamine, ecstasy, and others.

Criticism and controversy

PDFA was the subject of criticism when it was revealed by Cynthia Cotts of ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...

'' that their federal tax returns showed that they had received several million dollars worth of funding from major

pharmaceutical A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy (pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field and re ...

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

and

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...

corporations including

American Brands Fortune Brands was a holding company founded in 1969 as American Brands, renamed in 1997 and split apart in 2011. The corporate headquarters was in Deerfield, Illinois, in the United States. The company had diversified product lines. It announced ...

(

Jim Beam Jim Beam is an American brand of bourbon whiskey produced in Clermont, Kentucky, by Beam Suntory. It is one of the best-selling brands of bourbon in the world. Since 1795 (interrupted by Prohibition), seven generations of the Beam family have be ...

whiskey), Philip Morris (

Marlboro Marlboro (, ) is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by Philip Morris USA (a branch of Altria) within the United States and by Philip Morris International (now separate from Altria) outside the US. The largest Marl ...

and

Virginia Slims Virginia Slims is an American brand of cigarettes owned by Altria. It is manufactured by Philip Morris USA (in the United States) and Philip Morris International (outside the United States). Virginia Slims are narrower ( circumference) than sta ...

cigarettes,

Miller beer The Miller Brewing Company is an American brewery and beer company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was founded in 1855 by Frederick Miller. Molson Coors acquired the full global brand portfolio of Miller Brewing Company in 2016, and operates the M ...

Anheuser Busch Anheuser-Busch Companies, LLC is an American brewing company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Since 2008, it has been wholly owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (AB InBev), now the world's largest brewing company, which owns multiple glo ...

(

Budweiser Budweiser () is an American-style pale lager, part of AB InBev. Introduced in 1876 by Carl Conrad & Co. of St. Louis, Missouri, Budweiser has become a large selling beer company in the United States. ''Budweiser'' may also refer to an unrelat ...

Michelob Anheuser-Busch, a wholly owned subsidiary of AB InBev, Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, is the largest brewing company in the United States, with a market share of 45 percent in 2016. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and nearly 2 ...

Busch beer Anheuser-Busch, a wholly owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, is the largest brewing company in the United States, with a market share of 45 percent in 2016. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and nearly 20 in othe ...

R.J. Reynolds Richard Joshua Reynolds (July 20, 1850 – July 29, 1918) was an American businessman and founder of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. The son of a tobacco farmer, he worked for his father and attended Emory & Henry College from 1868 to 1870, ...

(

Camel A camel (from: la, camelus and grc-gre, κάμηλος (''kamēlos'') from Hebrew or Phoenician: גָמָל ''gāmāl''.) is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. C ...

, Salem, Winston cigarettes), as well as pharmaceutical firms Bristol Meyers-Squibb, Merck & Company and

. In 1997, it discontinued any direct fiscal association with tobacco and alcohol suppliers, although it still receives donations from pharmaceutical companies. There has been criticism that some of its PSAs have had "little proven effect on drug use."

Satire

Some of the campaigns run by the PDFA have been either satirized or referred to in popular media. In the comedy film ''

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle ''Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle'' (released in some international markets as ''Harold & Kumar Get the Munchies'') is a 2004 American buddy stoner comedy film directed by Danny Leiner, written by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, and starr ...

'' (2004),

John Cho John Cho (born Cho Yo-Han; June 16, 1972) is an American actor known for his roles as Harold Lee in the ''Harold & Kumar'' films, and Hikaru Sulu in the ''Star Trek'' rebooted film series. Early in his career, Cho also starred in the Asian Ame ...

and

Kal Penn Kalpen Suresh Modi (born April 23, 1977), known professionally as Kal Penn, is an American actor, author, academic lecturer, and former White House staff member in the Barack Obama administration. As an actor, he is known for his role portrayin ...

's characters are watching the ''Harmless'' PSA while intoxicated from marijuana. The advertisement in question features two teen boys smoking marijuana; one of them handles a gun and then fatally shoots himself, saying, "I'm so high, nothing can hurt me!" On a segment of ''

The Daily Show ''The Daily Show'' is an American late-night talk and satirical news television program. It airs each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central with release shortly after on Paramount+. ''The Daily Show'' draws its comedy and satire form from ...

'',

Ed Helms Edward Parker Helms (born January 24, 1974) is an American actor and comedian. From 2002 to 2006, he was a correspondent on Comedy Central's ''The Daily Show with Jon Stewart''. He played paper salesman Andy Bernard in the NBC sitcom ''The Offic ...

showed a PDFA advertisement in which a stoned teenager takes out a gun and, not realizing that it is loaded, shoots his friend. At the end of the PSA Helms says, "Obviously this is a very effective commercial ... for ''gun control''. Come on parents, what were you thinking, leaving a loaded gun around teenagers? Are you high or something?" In the comedy film ''

Scary Movie 2 ''Scary Movie 2'' is a 2001 American supernatural parody film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans. It is the sequel to ''Scary Movie'' and the second film in the ''Scary Movie'' film series. The film stars Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Shawn Wayans and M ...

'' (2001),

Marlon Wayans Marlon Lamont Wayans (born July 23, 1972) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. Wayans began his career portraying a pedestrian in ''I'm Gonna Git You Sucka'' (1988). He went on to regularly collaborate with his brother Shawn Wa ...

and

Chris Elliott Christopher Nash Elliott (born May 31, 1960) is an American actor, comedian and writer. He appeared in comedic sketches on '' Late Night with David Letterman'' (1982–1988), created and starred in the comedy series '' Get a Life'' (1990–1992) ...

's characters are parodying the brain dinner scene from ''

Hannibal Hannibal (; xpu, 𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋, ''Ḥannibaʿl''; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Puni ...

'' with

Beetlejuice ''Beetlejuice'' is a 1988 American fantasy horror comedy film directed by Tim Burton, written by Michael McDowell, Larry Wilson, and Warren Skaaren, produced by The Geffen Company, distributed by Warner Bros., and starring Alec Baldwin, ...

revealed as the brain, who then states before laughing, "This is your brain on drugs!" The ''South Park'' episode " My Future Self 'n' Me" reflects on some campaigns run by the PDFA. The ''Family Guy'' episode "

Boys Do Cry "Boys Do Cry" is the 15th episode of the fifth season of the American animated sitcom '' Family Guy''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 29, 2007. The episode follows the Griffin family after Lois gets a job a ...

" featured the character Meg lying on the couch deflated in reference to a PDFA commercial. A sketch on ''

Chappelle's Show ''Chappelle's Show'' is an American sketch comedy television series created by comedians Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan, with Chappelle hosting the show and starring in the majority of its sketches. Chappelle, Brennan, and Michele Armour were th ...

'' parodied a PDFA commercial where a group of stoned young men runs over a young girl on a bike while leaving a drive-thru. The sketch featured the cast of ''

Half Baked ''Half Baked'' is a 1998 American stoner comedy film starring Dave Chappelle, Jim Breuer, Harland Williams, and Guillermo Díaz. The film was directed by Tamra Davis, co-written by Chappelle and Neal Brennan and produced by Robert Simonds. The ...

'' in character running over a small girl, only to reveal that the young girl was also stoned and is otherwise unscathed.

Heart of the Matter with Elizabeth Vargas Podcast

In October 2020, Partnership to End Addiction launched a new podcast with board member Elizabeth Vargas, who serves as the podcast's host. Heart of the Matter with Elizabeth Vargas gives guests the opportunity to share their personal, candid stories about addiction. It offers a space to open up about substance use and mental health, to share the ways in which people are shifting their narrative – in their own relationships and across communities – to support the cause of ending addiction in our country. New episodes are released every other Tuesday, and available here or wherever you get your podcasts. Vargas, who is in recovery herself, on the topic of the podcast said to Variety, "There isn’t a day that goes by I’m not profoundly grateful for my sobriety. I never take it for granted. I remember being told you have to hold it like a delicate egg in your hands."{{Cite web , last=Littleton , first=Cynthia , date=2021-02-04 , title=Elizabeth Vargas Opens Up About Embracing the Recovery Community , url=https://variety.com/2021/tv/features/elizabeth-vargas-heart-of-the-matter-recovery-sobriety-1234892772/ , access-date=2022-04-13 , website=Variety , language=en-US While Vargas was seeking sobriety, her anonymity was stripped from her. She states it was "one of the most devastating things to happen. It was very difficult. There’s a huge amount of stigma around this disease. That’s why fewer than 20% of the people who need help get it."

The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids and The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) Merger

in July 2020, After merging, Partnership for Drug-Free Kids and The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) are now Partnership to End Addiction at drugfree.org''.'' In tandem, it has launched a new brand identity and redesigned website at drugfree.org. The changes are part of an evolution following the 2019 merger of two distinguished leaders in the substance addiction space. They also align with the organization's ongoing efforts to address community needs at a time of increased national uncertainty exacerbating the addiction crisis. "Partnership to End Addiction is a name that reflects both the legacy of our combined organization, as well as our dedication to partnering with experts, advocates and other organizations to address this public health crisis together," said Creighton Drury, CEO of Partnership to End Addiction. "We are living through an unprecedented time. Amid this uncertainty, families need to know they aren't alone. We are here to help them get through whatever challenges they may be facing, with support and free resources." The new website provides critical information for families impacted by addiction, as well as policymakers, researchers and health care professionals in the addiction space. Family members seeking guidance and information can access the organization's educational content on treatment, recovery and prevention in addition to one-on-one support from trained helpline specialists. They can also learn about advocating for policy changes, leading efforts in their own communities and volunteering with Partnership to End Addiction. Professionals in government, research and health care can engage with the organization's state- and federal-level policy and advocacy work, professional services, partnership opportunities, and addiction research and science. Partnership to End Addiction's updated logo, a combined heart and check, reflects its unique approach to ending addiction with a mix of heart and science, compassion and expertise. Its new brand design demonstrates the broad spectrum of the nonprofit's activities and its evolution as a combined organization now working on all fronts to solve our nation's addiction crisis.{{Cite web , title=Center on Addiction changes name to Partnership to End Addiction and launches new website , url=https://drugfree.org/newsroom/news-item/center-on-addiction-changes-name-to-partnership-to-end-addiction-and-launches-new-website/ , access-date=2022-04-13 , website=Partnership to End Addiction , language=en-US

Notes

#{{note, actorsAll actors in PDFA television and radio spots appear without fee, courtesy of an agreement with the

Screen Actors Guild The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to m ...