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New U.S. ads tie drug use to terrorism funding

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. government spent nearly $3.5 million on two television commercials warning Americans who buy illegal drugs -- especially young people -- that they may be helping to fund terrorism.

The ads debuted during Sunday's Super Bowl.

About half of the international terrorist organizations identified by the United States have been linked to drug trafficking, said John Walters, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

"Our goal is to ... create awareness about the very link between drug use in this country and the funding of terror around the world," Walters said Monday. "We'll measure some of that awareness in subsequent surveys. But the ultimate goal here is to reduce drug use."

The first 30-second ad asks, "Where do terrorists get their money? If you buy drugs, some of it might come from you."

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A series of images flashes on the screen indicating the costs of terror-related items. Among them are fake ID, $3,000; safe house, $7,200; computer, $1,200; explosives, $1,200; AK-47, $250; bribes, $4,000; and wire transfer, $200.

In the second ad, young people posing as drug users describe their "contributions" to terrorism.

"I helped murder families in Colombia," one says.

"It was just innocent fun," adds another.

Other messages include "I helped kill policemen"; "I helped a bomber get a fake passport"; "I helped blow up buildings"; "My life, my body"; and "It's not like I was hurting anybody else."

Each ad refers viewers to the Web site theantidrug.com, which is supporting the anti-drug campaign. The site has translations in Spanish, Cambodian, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese.

"The bottom line is simple: Terror and drug groups are linked in a mutually beneficial relationship by money, tactics, geography and politics," the Web site says. "Americans must understand that our individual choices about illicit drug use have the power to support or undermine our nation's war on terrorism."

Walters adds, "This is basically an education effort. The ads at the Super Bowl begin that process by talking about the very real link."

'This message is extremely powerful'

He said print ads also are being developed and lesson plans provided to teachers to carry the anti-drug message to more than 8 million children.

"Our goal is to give people the information to make informed choices," Walters said. "We think they will change their behavior when they get that information."

The ads were tested in five cities on more than 200 people in various age groups.

"We know this message is extremely powerful. And it's information people want," Walters said. "It's something they can do to combat terrorism in talking to young people and in their own behavior."

He said that nearly every major U.S. government agency was involved in preparing information for the ads and other groups also were consulted "to make sure we had a message that was honest, fair and powerful."

Among the Web site partners are the National Fatherhood Initiative, 100 Black Men, the Ad Council, the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Partnership for a Drug-Free America.

Six out of 10 American teens say that knowing there is a link between illegal drugs and terrorism would make them less likely to use drugs, according to a series of surveys the Partnership for a Drug-Free America conducted last year.

A series of telephone surveys in October and November, each polling 800 parents who have children ages 12 to 17 living at home, found most of them believe international terrorism is financed, at least in part, by the illegal drug trade. The surveys had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent.

Similar Partnership surveys conducted during the same months -- each polling 500 youngsters ages 12 to 17 -- found that nearly half of them agreed on the drug-terrorism link.

The polls of young people had a margin or error of plus or minus 5 percent.