As a teen in today's America, I am bombarded everyday with drugs. Whether it's the crazy guy on the corner, a blockbuster movie, hanging out with my friends, or sitting around watching TV, drugs are everywhere. In response to this, the government and media have gone to great lengths in the ongoing war on drugs. I wonder how with such focus from the media and government drug use still flourishes and what possible effects the drug prevention service announcements have on the masses.
             Anti-drug public service announcements (PSAs) started in the 1950s but it was not until the 1980s that it focused so much on the youth. For children growing up in the late 80s anti-drug PSAs were as much a part of daily life as Silver Spoons and Full House. With many yuppie parents in the work force, this latch key generation was guided by Television. Post playground cartoons were often interrupted by messages from the Partnership for a Drug Free America. "Just say no" – "Winners don't do drugs" – "This is your brain on drugs"- all of these catch phrases are well known to any American who own a Television. For 90s youth anti-drug PSAs made way into the classroom via Channel One airing "What's your anti-drug?" every commercial break. Jumping on the 9/11 bandwagon anti-drug PSAs even directly related themselves to anti-terrorism and patriotism with the Winter Olympics.
             Major catalysts for persuasion in drug-abuse prevention campaigns are fear arousal, social threats, and physical threats (Schoenbachler and Whittler 13, Dabbs and Leventhal 8). Fear arousal was more a strategy used in older drug-prevention campaigns such as the infamous "Reefer Madness" PSA of the 60s. A physically threatening campaign is best exemplified by the "This is your brain on drugs" PSA. In this commercial the man boldly looks into the camera says, "This is you
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