Comcast Cable Supports Effort Through Existing Three-Year Pledge of $50 Million in Advertising Time; Drive to Recruit Parents Nationally to Reach “Tough, Skeptical Audience”

NEW YORK, Feb. 22nd – The Partnership for a Drug-Free America^® today unveiled Partnering with Families – a new, national, multimedia campaign designed to inspire parents to become more actively engaged in the lives of their teenagers, especially in preventing adolescent drug abuse – an issue many parents are less concerned about.

“Today’s parents are the most drug-savvy, drug-experienced generation of parents we’ve ever seen in America, yet they’re less inclined to talk with their kids about drugs,” said Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of the Partnership. “Our challenge is to give these parents new reasons to care about drug abuse, and new ways to plug into their teens’ reality – a reality that is vastly different from the one they experienced as teens.”

Partnering with Families kicks off simultaneously with a new national study, released today by the Partnership. The study reports the current generation of parents sees significantly less risk in a wide variety of drugs, when compared to parents just a few years ago. The study notes that the majority of today’s parents are drug-experienced – close to six out of every 10 parents have used marijuana, for example. Researchers note that today’s parents came of age in the late 70s and early 80s – when teen drug use reached its highest level on record. “Parents appear to be carrying lax attitudes about drugs into the future,” Pasierb said.  

The multimedia Partnering with Families campaign includes:  

·        New national advertising campaigns for television, print, radio and the Web, in English and Spanish, all designed to reach “an exceptionally tough, experienced, skeptical audience of parents,” Pasierb said.

The advertising campaigns were developed pro bono by some of the best agencies in the country – including AtmosphereBBDO,  NY; BBDO, NY; DDB, Chicago; Euro RSCG MVBMS, NY; Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco; McCann-Erickson, NY; Rodriguez Mejer, NY and TBWA\Chiat\Day, NY.

The campaigns take several creative approaches: A few ads grab parents’ attention by tapping into hard-to-decipher teen vernacular; four television spots actually provoke teens to take the lead in initiating drug talks with their mothers and fathers.  Forthcoming campaigns will focus on new, emerging drug threats to teens – such as the increasing abuse of prescription and over-the-counter medications by teenagers.   The effort’s initial ads break nationally over the coming weeks.

·        Support from media companies throughout America. Comcast – the country's leading media, entertainment and communications company – is supporting the Partnership's campaign through an existing three-year, $50 million value in donated advertising time.  This advertising commitment will be used to deliver the Partnership’s new parent-targeted campaigns to millions of families throughout the country. Additionally, new campaigns will be distributed to national media companies and media outlets in the top 100 markets in the country via the organization’s state affiliates.   

“We’re pleased to be able to use our advertising inventory, as well as our products and services, to help the Partnership for a Drug-Free America deliver these campaigns to parents and caregivers across the country,’” said Steve Burke, chief operating officer of Comcast Corporation.  “We have 68,000 employees at Comcast – many of them are parents who have a personal stake in this issue, and in the communities we serve.”

·        A parent-centric, parent-driven Web community, where parents seeking advice on substance abuse and teens can connect with parents whose families have been impacted by drug and alcohol abuse. “This on-line community will provide parents with a safe, trusted, confidential place to turn,” Pasierb said. “When it comes to dealing with this issue effectively, confidentiality is key for any parent.”

·        A parents recruitment drive called “Parent Partners:” A core group of volunteer parents will lead a drive to recruit hundreds of other parents nationally to serve as parent “messengers” – the central element of the on-line community.   

·        Parent- and family-centric reports and research will be released throughout the calendar year.  A forthcoming report, for example, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, examines the social, emotional and financial impact of substance abuse on the American family, as well as the impact of drug and alcohol abuse on other social problems. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania’s Treatment Research Institute today briefed reporters on the latest medical research in adolescent brain development, and implications for adolescent health.

 ·        Engaging parents through story-telling: As Parent Partners takes shape, the organization will compile stories and experiences that families have had in contending with children and substance abuse. These stories will be shared with news and entertainment media throughout the calendar year.

“If our challenge is to pierce the protective layer of denial that parents wrap around themselves, in which they believe ‘it will never happen to me,’ there’s no better way to reach parents than with other parents,” said Tom Hedrick, a founding director of the Partnership who’s overseeing the new effort.

Denise McLean – mother of Backstreet Boys’ A.J. McLean – is part of the Partnership’s parent-centric efforts.  Having witnessed her son’s battle with alcoholism and depression, McLean has powerful insights to offer other parents. “When A.J. came to me in the throes of his addiction and in need of help, I just couldn’t believe this was happening to our son, to our family,” McLean said. “I was in deep denial about the entire thing.”

McLean joins about a dozen parents from around the country who’ve volunteered to support and drive the Parent Partners effort. Another member of the core team is Janet Pfaff – mother of Kristen Pfaff, the former bass guitarist in Courtney Love’s band, Hole. The younger Pfaff died at the age of 27 after overdosing on heroin.   

Research conducted for the Partnership shows a strong correlation between exposure to anti-drug messages and parental action.  The data report that parents who are exposed to more anti-drug ads are more likely to talk with their kids about the risks and dangers of drugs, and are more likely to do so frequently and thoroughly.

The Partnership extends special gratitude to the Screen Actors Guild, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and Kodak for their continued generosity and support.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America^® is a private, non-profit coalition of professionals from the communications industry.  Best known for its national, drug-education advertising campaign, The Partnership exists to help kids and teens reject substance abuse by influencing attitudes through persuasive information.  The Partnership’s State/City Alliance Program supports The Partnership’s mission at the local level.  The Partnership receives major funding from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and financial support from more than 200 private sector corporations.  The Partnership accepts no money from alcohol or tobacco manufacturers. All actors in The Partnership’s ads appear pro bono through the generosity of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.