The survey, conducted between September 1999 and December 2001 by the private research firm Westat and the University of Pennsylvania, involved youth ages 12 to 18 from throughout the United States.

The teens participating in the survey viewed anti-drug commercials on a computer and then answered questions about their intention to use drugs in the next 12 months. The survey found no drop in the rate of drug use among the teens surveyed.

"These ads aren't having an impact on teenagers," said Tom Riley, a spokesman for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. "We've spent millions on these ads and we are not seeing a return on the investment."

The study found that the ads were effective among parents interviewed for the survey. After viewing the ads, 80 percent of the parents said they were motivated to ask their child questions about their social lives and become more involved.

"We're pleased with the impact the campaign is having on parents and having on their behavior in monitoring kids, but it hasn't yet affected their own kids' behavior or attitudes," said Alan Levitt, manager of the anti-drug media campaign.

Editor's note: To date, the evaluation study of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign has not been released to the public by ONDCP.

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