American Journal of Public Health, August 2002
“Assessing the Impact of Anti-Drug Advertising on Adolescent Drug Consumption: Results from a Behavioral Economic Model.” Researchers from Yale University, the London School
 Researchers report that the cumulative impact of anti-drug advertising reduced probability of marijuana trial and cocaine trial.
of Economics, New York University Stern School of Business and Baruch College find “strong evidence that anti-drug advertising decreases drug trial.”

Specifically, researchers report that the cumulative impact of anti-drug advertising reduced probability of marijuana trial (by 9.25 percent) and cocaine trial (by 3.6 percent). The research team also finds that the availability of drugs had no association with most usage decisions, suggesting “more emphasis should be placed on demand versus supply side strategies for decreasing drug consumption.”

Block, Morwitz, Putsis Jr. and Sen.

American Journal of Public Health , February 2001
“Television Campaigns and Adolescent Marijuana Use: Tests of Sensation Seeking Targeting.” In a study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, researchers report heavy exposure to anti-marijuana advertising results in a 27 percent decline in marijuana use among at-risk teens in Kentucky following two years of heavy exposure to campaign messaging.

Palmgreen, Donohew, Pugzles Lorch, Hoyle and Stephensen.

American Journal of Public Health, February 2002
“Testing the Relative Effectiveness of Anti-Drug Public Service Announcements Before a National Campaign.” Analyzing Partnership advertising originally used in the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, researchers at the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania report an overall positive impact of Partnership advertising among target audiences. Study finds 24 of 30 Partnership messages, or 80 percent of those tested, rated as good as the control or better.

Fishbein, Hall-Jamieson, Zimmer, von Haeften and Nabi.

American Journal of Pediatrics, December 1994
“The Impact of Anti-Drug Advertising.” Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine researchers find that among middle and high school students exposed to anti-drug advertising, the majority identifies a positive impact of the ads on their knowledge, beliefs and attitudes pertaining to drug use. Further, 75 percent of these students perceive that the ads have a deterrent impact on their own actual or intended drug use — and even many drug users claim a deterrent impact of anti-drug advertising. In conclusion, the authors said, “our findings suggest that anti-drug advertising serves as a deterrent to youth substance abuse.”

Reis, Duggan, Adger Jr. and DeAngelis.