Mass media is an effective tool in preventing drug use and abuse, especially among youths. However, the use of mass media in achieving this objective should be applied efficiently and intelligently to create better relationships. Resultantly, the messages will reach greater target audiences to enhance rapid positive changes on attitudes and beliefs of the group. More importantly, mass media campaigns are very effective in informing, training, entertaining, advertising, and socially mobilizing the public to prevent the use of drugs.
Mass media are effective in disseminating public health information about the threats, effects, and repercussions of drug abuse. Therefore, informing the public plays a vital role in changing their general behaviors towards avoiding the use and abuse of drugs that could lead to risky sexual activities and reckless driving. Notably, television, radio, newspapers, and magazine advertisements are crucial in implementing such behavioral change strategies that would eventually ensure social marketing programmes (European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, 2013). Therefore, the public health mass media campaigns can sensitize the people on how to reduce heart diseases, cancer, and HIV/AIDS through avoidance of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug and substance abuse.
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Generally, mass media campaigns have the potential of propagating simple and focussed messages to a wider target audience repetitively and over a longer duration at relatively lower costs as compared to other intervention strategies (European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, 2013). This is important because the population so reached is heterogeneous and social interventions can positively impact the employees in the context of human resources management. A typical example manifests itself in the use of public health mass media campaigns in sensitizing the population on road safety measures and limiting the use of tobacco. Conversely, the media has long been used in promoting healthier nutrition, physical exercises, and general prevention of illicit drug use among the youths and vulnerable populations.
Reference
European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. (2013). Perspectives on Drugs: Mass media campaigns for the prevention of drug use in young people. [Updated: 28. 5. 2013]. Retrieved 30/10/18 from http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_212357_EN_EMCDDA_POD_2013_Mass%20media%20campaigns.pdf
