Underage Drinking Prevention

According to the National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (2004 – 2005) published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), those who start drinking before the age of 15 are five times more likely to have alcohol problems later in life than those who begin drinking at age 21 or older. In support of the Surgeon General's "Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking," the Ad Council and SAMHSA are continuing their campaign designed to reduce underage drinking by increasing communication between parents and youth. The campaign encourages parents to speak with their children early and often about the dangers of underage drinking.

During the prom and graduation season, as well as the summer when teens have extra time, research shows that young people begin experimenting with alcohol. New SA MHSA data found that one third of all underage drinking initiation occurs in the summer months, with July having the highest occurrence of first-time alcohol use (13%). That's why it's important for you to run these critical PSA s now.

Studies consistently show that children are less likely to drink when they have a close relationship with a parent or guardian. However, research shows that parents of teens generally underestimate the extent of alcohol used by youth and its negative consequences, with the vast majority viewing underage drinking as inevitable. Furthermore, many parents also find it difficult to know how or when to start a conversation with their children about underage drinking.

Featuring the key message "Start Talking Before They Start Drinking," the campaign seeks to overcome parents' misconceptions about underage drinking and create a greater sense of urgency around the issue. Parents are encouraged to visit the website, www.stopalcoholabuse.gov, to get information about teens and alcohol, as well as tips on how to initiate conversations with their children.

TV Stations Put the Brakes on Buzzed Driving

Although we have seen a significant decrease in alcohol-related fatalities over the years, driving while impaired is still one of the most frequently committed crimes in our country, killing one person every 41 minutes and affecting one in three Americans. In 2006, nearly 14,000 people died in highway crashes involving drunk driving.

In an effort to extend the reach of the "Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving" television PSA s to Americans during the holiday week last December, the Ad Council and the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA ) partnered with the Television Bureau of Advertising for the fourth straight year on an industry "roadblock," during which all local broadcast TV stations were encouraged to donate airtime for the spots.

Stations in markets representing 99% of America registered for the roadblock, including stations in all the top 100 markets. Early reports indicate that the PSA s were aired more than 31,000 times, with a donated media value of $3 million.

As a result of this support, coupled with law enforcement programs and NHTSA 's paid drunk driving prevention ads, people are acting on the message, particularly men in the target age group (ages 21 – 35).

According to Ad Council tracking surveys conducted each January, one half of young men (51%) recall seeing or hearing the campaign's advertising. Of those familiar with the PSA s, nearly 9 in 10 (86%) call the campaign extremely/very/somewhat effective. More important, the proportion of young men who reported having refrained from impaired driving recently (within the past month) nearly doubled, from 17% in January 2006 to 30% in January 2008. Furthermore, the number of young men who reported trying to stop someone from driving impaired recently (within the past month) also increased significantly — from 20% in January 2006 to 32% in January 2008.

This year's Project Roadblock incorporated digital PSA distribution and a viral text message that was deployed on New Year's Eve to remind local TV viewers to refrain from drunk driving.

In 1982, the Ad Council launched one of its most successful campaigns, featuring the tagline "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk." The campaign has evolved and continues to motivate countless Americans to intervene to stop a friend from driving drunk. Thank you for your ongoing support of this critical message — it is truly making a difference and saving lives.

Home Foreclosures Are Rising

As you may know, U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson recently sent a letter to media outlets nationwide, encouraging local TV and radio stations to run the Ad Council's Foreclosure Prevention PSA s in an effort to encourage Americans at risk of foreclosure to call 888-995-HOPE for quality help and guidance regarding their options. Here is an excerpt from the Secretary's letter.

We echo Secretary Paulson's call for your support. As you know, PSA s have the power to change lives. Your continued support of this campaign could mean the difference for countless Americans in jeopardy of losing their homes. Thank you.

"Millions of people are struggling with their mortgages and need to know where to turn for help. I am writing to ask you to devote some of your public service airtime to public service announcements that inform struggling homeowners where to turn for help. For example, the Ad Council has prepared a public service announcement that informs struggling homeowners of a phone number to call to talk to a mortgage counselor about solutions. With your help we can broaden this public service announcement campaign and spread the word that hope is but a phone call away."

May Is Mental Health Awareness Month!

Mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder are widespread in America. An estimated 24.6 million adults ages 18 or older experience serious psychological distress (SPD), which is highly correlated with serious mental illness.

Alarmingly, only one quarter of young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 believe that a person with mental illness can eventually recover. By partnering with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SA MHSA ), the Ad Council is addressing this misperception with its National Mental Health Anti-Stigma Campaign. The campaign's engaging PSA s encourage 18 – 25-year-olds to step up and support their friends who are living with a mental illness. Depicting situations that are familiar to the campaign's target demographic, the PSA s demonstrate the various roles that individuals can play in a friend's recovery.

Viewers and listeners are encouraged to continue to support their friends who are living with a mental illness and to visit www.whatadifference.org for more information. Please help support this critical campaign during Mental Health Awareness Month and throughout the year.

Inspiring Invention Website

In April 2007 the Ad Council, in partnership with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation, launched a unique PSA campaign designed to inspire the next generation of scientists, researchers, engineers and inventors and to make inventing and developing new ideas a part of American children's lives.

Thanks to your support the campaign website, www.InventNow.org, has had registered more than 37,000 inventors and more than 600,000 visits since its launch. By the end of 2007, www.InventNow.org was receiving an average of 2,800 daily visits from children looking to develop their creativity and invent something new. These results clearly demonstrate your role in inspiring children all around America to express their creativity for invention. Thank you.

Did You Take the Time to Be a Dad Today?

According to the National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI), more than 79% of Americans feel "the most significant family or social problem facing America is the physical absence of a father from the home." Furthermore, research shows that the lack of a father in the home correlates closely with crime, educational and emotional problems, teenage pregnancy, and drug and alcohol abuse.

In response, the Ad Council and NFI have launched new TV , radio and print PSA s to communicate to fathers that their presence is essential to their children's well-being and to provide all fathers with the information they need to become better dads. The new PSA s emphasize to fathers that "the smallest moments can have the biggest impact on a child's life." The PSA s conclude with the tagline "Take time to be a dad today" and direct fathers to visit www.fatherhood.gov or call 1-877-4DAD411 to learn how to become better dads.

Since 1996, the Ad Council and NFI have partnered on this important effort to show dads the critical role they play in their children's lives. Thank you for continuing to support this important issue.

Signs of Child Abuse Are Not Always Apparent

According to Childhelp there are over three million reports of child abuse each year. Experts estimate that the actual number of incidents of abuse is three times that, because often there are no obvious signs of abuse. In an effort to protect our nation's greatest resource, its children, the Ad Council has partnered with Childhelp to promote the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-4-A-CHILD and the website www.childhelp.org through a PSA campaign. The PSA s highlight the importance of being aware of and reporting suspected abuse.

The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline receives nearly 200,000 calls each year and is staffed by professional crisis counselors who are able to provide crisis intervention and support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your support of these PSA s can help to stop child abuse and may save the life of an abused child in your community.

Our Billboards Are Going Green!

The Ad Council's critical campaigns appear on thousands of billboards throughout the nation. Now, a growing number of our messages are printed on Eco-Flexx, a newly developed core of woven polyethylene. This cutting-edge material helps to reduce the billboard industry's reliance on environmentally harmful materials.

"Like the Ad Council, Eco-Flexx is committed to making a difference in the communities it serves. Our 100% recyclable polyethylene (PE) substrate is lighter in weight, easier to hang and has a carbon footprint that is 60% less than PVC Flex," says Hank Ridless, President of Circle Graphics, the company that created Eco-Flexx.

The switch to Eco-Flexx also leads to shipping efficiencies that help the environment. The light weight of an Eco-Flexx banner (which is roughly one third as much as the traditional 75-pound billboard vinyl) allows the industry to reduce its reliance on gas-guzzling machinery like large trucks.

As Stephen Freitas, Chief Marketing Officer of the OAAA , explains, "The outdoor industry is committed to environmental stewardship through meaningful programs, such as recycling, that demonstrate discernable reductions in the industry's carbon footprint."

Thanks to the outdoor industry for their longstanding commitment to the Ad Council. We are delighted to be able to work together to communicate our critical messages to the American people using a more environmentally friendly material.

The Impact We're Making Together