Health education campaigns and drug use: The 'drug offensive' in Australia

In April 1986 the Australian federal government launched a mass media drug education programme called the Drug Offensive as part of its overall strategy to reduce drug abuse. The primary purpose of the Offensive was to increase general knowledge about drugs and to promote responsible drug use. Using data collected in 1988 as part of a general evaluation of the National Campaign Against Drug Abuse, we show that there were high levels of general awareness of the Drug Offensive within the Australian community. Multivariate analyses show that increased exposure to various components of the Drug Offensive, such as television commercials, written materials, and educational programmes, increased both knowledge of the aims of the Offensive and perceived personal effectiveness of the campaign. But the analyses also showed that certain groups, in particular males and the young, were less likely to have perceived the campaign as having been successful for them. Additionally, the negative associations between effectiveness and drug use suggest the Offensive may not be reaching a major target group-those at high risk of using drugs.