Initiation
The campaign emerged from a substance abuse prevention program supported by the National Institutes of Health, pioneered in the 1970s by University of Houston Social Psychology Professor Dr. Richard I. Evans. Evans's social inoculation model included teaching student skills to resist peer pressure and other social influences. The campaign involved University projects done by students across the nation. Jordan Zimmerman, a student at USF, won the campaign. Zimmerman is now the owner of Zimmerman Advertising, one of the largest advertising corporations in the world. The anti-drug movement was among the resistance skills recommended in response to low peer pressure, and Nancy Reagan's larger campaign proved to be a useful dissemination of this social inoculation strategy.[2]
Mrs. Nancy Reagan first became involved during a campaign trip in 1980 to Daytop Village, New York. She recalls feeling impressed by a need to educate the youth about drugs and drug abuse.[1] Upon her husband's election to the presidency, she returned to Daytop Village and outlined how she wished to help educate the youth.[1] She stated in 1981 that her best role would be to bring awareness about the dangers of drug abuse:
"Understanding what drugs can do to your children, understanding peer pressure and understanding why they turn to drugs is... the first step in solving the problem."[1]
[edit] Efforts in the United States and abroad
The phrase "Just Say No" first emerged when Nancy Reagan was visiting Longfellow Elementary School in Oakland, California,[3] in 1982 and was asked by a schoolgirl what to do if she was offered drugs. The first lady responded by saying, "Just say no."[4] Just Say No club organizations within schools and school-run anti-drug programs soon became common, in which young people make pacts not to experiment with drugs.[5]
Nancy Reagan was asked about her efforts in the campaign, and said: "If you can save just one child, it's worth it."[6] She traveled throughout the United States and several other nations, totaling over 250,000 miles (400,000 km).[5] Mrs. Reagan visited drug rehabilitation centers and abuse prevention programs; with the media attention that the first lady receives, Nancy appeared on television talk shows, recorded public service announcements, and wrote guest articles.[5] By the autumn of 1985, she had appeared on 23 talk shows, cohosted an episode of Good Morning America, and starred in a two hour PBS documentary on drug abuse.[7] The campaign and the phrase "Just Say No" made their way into popular American culture when TV shows like Diff'rent Strokes and Punky Brewster produced episodes centered on the campaign. In 1983, Nancy Reagan appeared as herself in the television programs Dynasty and Diff'rent Strokes to garner support for the anti-drug campaign.[8] She participated in a 1985 rock music video "Stop the Madness" as well.[9] La Toya Jackson became spokesperson for the campaign in 1987 and recorded a song entitled "Just Say No" with British hit producers Stock/Aitken/Waterman.
In 1985, Nancy Reagan expanded the campaign internationally. She invited the First Ladies of thirty various nations to the White House in Washington, D.C. for a conference entitled the "First Ladies Conference on Drug Abuse".[5] She later became the first First Lady invited to address the United Nations.[5]
She enlisted the help of the Girl Scouts of America, Kiwanis Club International, and the National Federation of Parents for a Drug-Free Youth to promote the cause;[7] the Kiwanis put up over 2000 billboards with Nancy Reagan's likeness and the slogan.[7] Over 5000 Just Say No clubs were founded in schools and youth organizations in the United State and abroad.[7] Many clubs and organizations remain in operation around the country, where they aim to educate children and teenagers about the effects of drugs.[1]
Just Say No crossed over to the United Kingdom in the 1980s, where it was popularized by the BBC's 1986 "Drugwatch" campaign, which revolved around a heroin-addiction storyline in the popular children's TV drama serial Grange Hill. The cast's cover of the original U.S. campaign song, with an added rap, reached the UK top ten.[10]
[edit] Effects
Evidence suggests drug use and abuse significantly declined during the Reagan presidency.[11][12][13]University of Michigan, more young people in the 1980s were saying no to drugs.[11] High school seniors using marijuana dropped from 50.1% in 1978 to 36% in 1987,[11] to 12% in 1991[13] and the percentage of students using other drugs decreased similarly.[11] Psychedelic drug use dropped from 11% to 6%, cocaine from 12% to 10%, and heroin from 1% to 0.5%.[11] According to research conducted by the Institute for Social Research at the
While a direct relationship between reduced drug use and the Just Say No campaign cannot be established, Nancy Reagan's related efforts increased public awareness of the problem.[11]
The campaign drew some criticism, including that the program was too costly.[14] Author Jeff Elliott stated that the Reagan administration's synonymous use of the terms "drug use" and "drug abuse" was improper, and that drug use in America was underestimated; Dr. Michael Newcomb claimed that there is "no evidence that most people who experiment with drugs get hooked."[14] It was also argued that the program did not go far enough in addressing many social issues including unemployment, poverty, and family dissolution;[14] Nancy Reagan's approach to promoting drug awareness was also labeled simplistic by critics who argued that the solution was reduced to a catch phrase.[15]
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