ONDCP seeks to foster healthy individuals and safe communities by effectively

leading the Nation’s effort to reduce drug use and its consequences.

March 2012

Above the Influence

Effective and Relevant to Youth, ONDCP’s

‘Above the Influence’ Campaign Supports Prevention Efforts 

of Communities Across the Country

A Brand that Speaks to Teens

ONDCP’s multi-tiered “Above the Influence” (ATI) Campaign provides sound information to 

young people about the dangers of drug use and strengthens efforts to prevent drug use in 

communities.

In 2010, the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign re-launched the 

ATI youth brand with broad prevention messaging at the national level –

including television, print and Internet advertising – as well as more 

targeted efforts at the local level. Since the re-launch, results from the 

Campaign's year-round tracking study of teens consistently show that 

more than 85 percent of teens are aware of the ATI brand, and that more 

than three-quarters of teens say the ATI message speaks to someone like 

them – regardless of race, gender, or ethnicity.

More important, teens who are aware of or interacted with ATI have significantly stronger antidrug beliefs than teens who are not aware of or do not interact with ATI.

Engaging Communities Directly

To foster participation at the community level, the Campaign partners with hundreds of youthserving organizations in communities across the country and provides technical assistance and 

training to community organizations through conference workshops and webinars, with the 

objectives of: 

(1) Actively engaging youth at the local level to allow them to participate directly in the ATI 

Campaign; 

(2) Providing local youth-serving organizations with a recognized, national platform to 

further their specific drug-prevention goals and initiatives; and

(3) Providing localized ATI advertising – including posters and outdoor ads featuring 

artwork created by teens across partner communities to generate additional awareness.
ONDCP seeks to foster healthy individuals and safe communities by effectively

leading the Nation’s effort to reduce drug use and its consequences.

March 2012

Campaign partners include local chapters and affiliates representing Drug Free Communities 

Support Program grantees, the Boys and Girls Club of America, the YMCA (or Y), Girls Inc., 

ASPIRA (a national organization dedicated to developing the educational and leadership 

capacity of Hispanic youth), Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), Community AntiDrug Coalitions of America (CADCA), the National Organization for Youth Safety (NOYS), and the 

Partnership at Drugfree.org.

Campaign Effectiveness

National-level ATI Campaign Shown to be Effective

Evidence for the effectiveness of the “Above the Influence” Campaign has appeared in several 

recently published independent research studies, including an analysis published online by the 

peer-reviewed journal Prevention Science that concluded, “exposure to the ONDCP (ATI) 

campaign predicted reduced marijuana use.”1

The analysis, funded through a grant by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), showed 

that youth who reported exposure to the ATI Campaign were less likely to begin use of 

marijuana than those not exposed to the Campaign – a finding consistent with the Campaign’s 

own year-round Youth Ad Tracking Survey results.

A second study, published in the American Journal of Public Health in March 2011,

2

provides 

“evidence that greater exposure to the Above the Influence Campaign is significantly

associated with reduced marijuana usage.” Specifically, this research found lower rates of 

past-month and lifetime marijuana use among 8th grade girls who had greater exposure to the 

ATI Campaign’s anti-drug advertisements. Positive findings for early adolescent teens in this 

study are consistent with other data showing stronger effects for this age group, including 

research by “truth,” the national tobacco prevention campaign conducted by the American 

Legacy Foundation.

3

A third study, published in the Journal of Drug Education, has also shown encouraging findings 

about the effectiveness of the Campaign. The findings suggest that awareness of the “Above 

the Influence” Campaign “is associated with greater anti-drug beliefs, fewer drug use 

intentions, and less marijuana use” among the Campaign’s target audience.4

Implementation of the Campaign’s ATI localization initiative (a community-level effort centered 

on youth-serving organizations conducting “Above the Influence” activities with youth) has 

been underway since the fall of 2010 and is designed to amplify the effects of the national ATI 

Campaign. The initiative also has been evaluated recently and has shown positive results (see 

below).

 

1

Slater, et al (2011), “Assessing Media Campaigns Linking Marijuana Non-Use with Autonomy and Aspirations: ‘Be Under Your Own 

Influence’ and ONDCP’s ‘Above the Influence’,” Prevention Science, Volume 12, Number 1, 12-22.

2 Carpenter and Pechmann (2011), “Exposure to the Above the Influence Antidrug Advertisements and Adolescent Marijuana Use in the United 

States, 2006-2008,” American Journal of Public Health, published online.

3

Farrelly, et al (2005), “Evidence of a dose-response relationship between “truth” antismoking ads and youth smoking prevalence,” American 

Journal of Public Health, 95(3), 425-431.

4

Scheier, L. M., Grenard, J. L., & Holtz, K. D. (2011). An empirical assessment of the “Above the Influence” advertising campaign. Journal of 

Drug Education, 41(4), 431-461.
ONDCP seeks to foster healthy individuals and safe communities by effectively

leading the Nation’s effort to reduce drug use and its consequences.

March 2012

ATI is Valuable to Communities 

Community partners have embraced the ATI Campaign and have used the ATI activities as a 

new way to engage youth in a dialogue about the negative effects of substance use. ATI 

community partners have used the ATI Campaign as a valuable asset to which they can anchor 

their individual youth substance abuse prevention programs, thereby furthering their 

respective youth-serving missions.

Coalition of Behavioral Health Services 

(a Drug Free Communities Support 

Program grantee in Houston, Texas)

Teens from the Coalition of Behavior 

Health Services conducted a week of 

“Above the Influence” activities during a 

local art festival, including the “Tag It” 

activity, creation of an ATI art mural 

that traveled to various Houston-area 

locations, teen panel discussions, and a 

free concert by a local hip-hop dance 

group.

“We want our teens to develop what we call ‘influence literacy,’ which means having a clear 

understanding of those people, places, and things in their lives that influence them in a 

positive way toward their goals and dreams, and those people, places, and things — such as 

alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs — that are negative influences which can derail their 

personal dreams.” 

—Sandy Olson, executive director of the Coalition of Behavioral Health Services and the 

Partnership for a Drug-Free Spring Branch 

Kent County Prevention Coalition

(a Drug Free Communities grantee in 

Grand Rapids, Michigan)

Teens from the Kent County Prevention 

Coalition took on the challenge of 

making a movie discussing the negative 

pressures and influences in their lives, 

and how they rise above them. The 30-

minute movie premiered at a local Kent 

County movie theater. Teens used the 

ATI Toolkit as a guide for the activities 

and discussions captured in the movie.

“To have the national support through 

ATI, and to be part of something larger 

than just your community, has been 

great. It’s allowed us to open doors and develop strong partnerships that have blossomed.” 

—Shannon Cohen, Program Director, Kent County Prevention Coalition

Michigan teens pose for a picture prior to doing the “Tag It” 

activity that would later be used in their 30-minute “Above 

the Influence” film.

Houston-area teen girls participating in the "Tag It" activity 

creatively demonstrate how they are "above peer pressure."
ONDCP seeks to foster healthy individuals and safe communities by effectively

leading the Nation’s effort to reduce drug use and its consequences.

March 2012

Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club (Bronx, NY)

After completing the ATI art project, 

Yolanda Brisbane-Baird, unit director at the 

Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club, challenged her 

youth to form their own ATI team to design 

ATI-themed events throughout the year. 

ATI-related activities included: (1) a 

Valentine’s Teen Party, where teens 

featured an alcohol-free teen bar; teens 

who submitted their ATI artwork were 

admitted for $1 versus $5; (2) a "Stop 

Bullying – Speak Up" town hall meeting 

sponsored by Cartoon Network and 

Cablevision. Youth conducted the ATI “Tag 

It” activity before the event and showcased

their “tags” during the town hall meeting; and (3) a large wall display in the lobby of the club 

dedicated to ATI, with a new ATI theme each month.

In an evaluation of the Campaign’s community-level efforts, community partners reported that 

local ATI activities were useful to their organizations in meeting their missions to serve youth. 

Further, the ATI Campaign activities continue to be replicated in local communities around the 

country, with roughly three-quarters of community partners saying they would highly 

recommend ATI activities to other youth-serving organizations.

ATI community-level activities are having a measured impact on youth as well. Not only did 91 

percent of teen participants favorably rate the ATI activities, but teens’ perceptions of the risks 

associated with drug and alcohol use also increased after participating in ATI activities.

Darylis (standing at center, right) of the Kips Bay Boys & 

Girls Club stands proudly next to her ATI artwork, which 

was made into posters for her club.
ONDCP seeks to foster healthy individuals and safe communities by effectively

leading the Nation’s effort to reduce drug use and its consequences.

March 2012
ONDCP seeks to foster healthy individuals and safe communities by effectively leading the Nation’s

effort to reduce drug use and its consequences.

Resources for Stakeholders

ATI Activities Toolkit includes:

 Influence Video Discussion Guide: Opens up a dialogue

with teens about influences they face; builds “influence

literacy”

 “Tag It”: Empowers teens to identify and reject negative

influences

 “Be It”: Challenges teens to create their own personal

positive slogans/brands in 6 words or less

 “Bring It”: Strengthens teens’ resistance skills through role

playing scenarios

 ATI Art Project: Uses visual/artistic expression to convey

what being “Above the Influence” means to teens

Find Toolkit and supporting materials: www.atipartnerships.com

Visit us on www.abovetheinfluence.com and www.facebook.com/abovetheinfluence