Among actions cited were contacting legislators or talking to young people about drugs. The survey also found that respondents think parents who have children under 18 are likely to think drugs are a problem and are willing to talk to their children about it. However, only about half of the parents with teenagers indicated that they had talked to their children about drugs in the six months prior to the survey. The group plans to re-survey the respondents in February to determine if exposure to PDFI public service ads has had a lasting impact. Central Iowa focus groups To measure the impact of the ads on teenagers, the Iowa State research team did focus groups with high school students from Roland-Story City, Gilbert and Nevada high schools.
Teens get most of their anti-drug messages from radio.
Teens find few connections between their circumstances and those of celebrity spokespeople used in anti-drug ads. Teens are exposed to marijuana more often than any other illegal drug. Teens perceive parents as lacking knowledge regarding drugs and believe parents are ill-equipped to discuss drugs with them.