August 29, 2006 2:26PM # Prepare to Be Shocked By [Radley Balko](https://www.cato.org/people/radley-balko) --- SHARE [ONDCP is a waste of money](http://www.forbes.com/technology/ebusiness/feeds/ap/2006/08/25/ap2974191.html): > The government’s anti-drug ad campaign has not been proven to deter children from using drugs, and lawmakers should consider reducing funding for the $1.2 billion program, congressional auditors said Friday. > > > The Government Accountability Office based its recommendation on its review of an independent evaluation of the media campaign by Westat Inc. > > > The government has spent about $1.2 billion since 1998 on scores of television, print and radio ads designed to discourage drug use among youth. The ads also describe parents as the anti-drug. President Bush requested another $120 million for next year. > > > Westat found the ads had no “significant favorable effects” in deterring children from trying marijuana or in getting them to stop. Rather, it found that more 12 1/2- to 13-year-olds and girls were trying the drug after seeing the ads, the GAO said. Apparently, comparing pot-smoking cancer patients [to terrorist sympathizers](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,64092,00.html) isn’t resonating with the public. Whoda’ thunkit’? Full report [here](http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06818.pdf) \[.pdf\]. ##### Related Tags [General](https://www.cato.org/general), [Constitutional Law](https://www.cato.org/constitutional-law), [Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies](https://www.cato.org/robert-levy-center-constitutional-studies) [![Creative Commons License](/build/cato_2020/images/creative-commons.svg)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).