Teen-agers are saying “no’’ to the “just say no’’ advertising campaign against drugs, a study in Boston has concluded.
The teen-agers participating in the study rejected anti-drug advertisements that relied on slogans or carried a “preachy’’ message, the researchers found.
In contrast, commercials that emphasized the effects of drug use on students’ family relationships or offered strategies for resisting offers of drugs were seen as more effective.
Five students at the Harvard School of Business completed the study, commissioned by Mayor Raymond L. Flynn’s policy office, late last month.
The real-life advertisements that most impressed the youths were “different than just saying no, which could make you pretty uncool with your friends,’' said Marc Zegans, an assistant to the Mayor.
He said that, as a result of the study, the Mayor’s office will conduct an anti-drug advertisement contest for youths and will schedule panel discussions for teen-agers to talk about drugs and other youth-related issues.
He said the city was trying to persuade the business community to sponsor public-service announcements that incorporate the study’s findings.
The National Dairy Council has developed what is believed to be the first wide-scale, school-based effort to teach Hispanic children about nutrition in Spanish.
The program, “Food ... Early Choices,’' uses games and simple recipes to encourage young children to make nutritionally sound food selections.
The teacher uses a puppet, Chef Combo Nation, to teach preschool- and kindergarten-age children about nutritional concepts and how to be clean and careful when working with food.
The program, which was developed in English in 1980, was translated into Spanish last year.
The Spanish program, “La Comida ... Decisiones A Una Edad Temprana,’' has been used in 4,000 classrooms across the country.
More information on the program is available by writing the National Dairy Council, 6300 North River Rd., Rosemount, Ill. 60018, or by calling (312) 696-1020.
A 12-minute videotape prepared in cooperation with the group Mothers of Asthmatics Inc. is available to help teach parents, educators, and school nurses about the problems that confront children with asthma and allergies.
“Asthma and Allergies in the School: The Importance of Cooperative Care’’ explains how many medications for asthma and allergies have side effects that could affect a child’s performance in school.
The video also stresses that, unless a child having an asthma attack is treated promptly, the results could be fatal.
More information is available from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 1717 Massachussetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036.--E.F.
