Hoping to counter pro-drug messages on the Internet, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is posting its anti-drug videos to the popular YouTube site, the Associated Press reported Sept. 19.

More than 100 million videos a day are viewed at YouTube; posting the government-produced public-service announcements doesn't cost ONDCP anything, and a spokesperson for the agency said, "If just one teen sees this and decides illegal drug use is not the path for them, it will be a success."

The PSAs will compete with a wide range of other YouTube content, including drug-inspired videos (including a popular two-minute clip of a burning marijuana cigarette produced by High Times magazine) and films on how to grow marijuana.

"Public institutions must adapt to meet the realities of these promising technologies," said drug czar John Walters.

But net-savvy observers said that YouTube users are likely to edit the ONDCP ads into parodies, presumably some featuring pro-drug messages. Internet expert Michael Bugeja of Iowa State University says that YouTube is the wrong venue for a serious anti-drug message. "It's the wrong forum and the wrong target," he said.