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This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2005.072843v1 AJPH.2005.072843v2 97/9/1644    most recent Submit a response Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Palmgreen, P. Articles by Donohew, L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Palmgreen, P. Articles by Donohew, L. Related Collections Community Health Health Promotion Adolescent Health Media Prevention Drugs

Philip Palmgreen, PhD, Elizabeth P. Lorch, PhD, Michael T. Stephenson, PhD, Rick H. Hoyle, PhD and Lewis Donohew, PhD

Philip Palmgreen and Lewis Donohew are with the Department of Communication and Elizabeth P. Lorch is with the Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington. Michael T. Stephenson is with the Department of Communication, Texas A & M University, College Station. Rick H. Hoyle is with the Department of Psychology, Duke University, Durham, NC.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Philip Palmgreen, PhD, Department of Communication, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506–0042 (e-mail: palmgreen{at}uky.edu).

Objectives. We evaluated the effects of the Marijuana Initiative portion of the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign on high-sensation-seeking and low-sensation-seeking adolescents.

Methods. Personal interviews were conducted via laptop computers with independent monthly random samples of 100 youths from the same age cohort in each of 2 moderate-sized communities over 48 months (April 1999–March 2003) of the campaign, including the critical first 6 months of the 9-month initiative. The start of the initiative was treated as an "interruption" in time-series analyses of the combined community sample.

Results. The Marijuana Initiative reversed upward developmental trends in 30-day marijuana use among high-sensation-seeking adolescents (P<.001) and significantly reduced positive marijuana attitudes and beliefs in this at-risk population. Use of control substances was not affected. As expected, low-sensation-seeking adolescents had low marijuana-use levels, and the campaign had no detectable effects on them. Other analyses indicated that the initiative’s dramatic depiction of negative consequences of marijuana use was principally responsible for its effects on high-sensation-seeking youths.

Conclusions. Substance use prevention campaigns can be effective within an approach using dramatic negative-consequence messages targeted to high-sensation seekers.