The believability of the media as sources of information on drugs

Based on an analysis of data gathered by a school drug survey given to junior and senior high school students in a middle-class community in the spring 1974, important differences were found to exist in the believability of various sources of drug information. Overall, comparisons indicate that friend, expert (e.g., doctor, staff member of a drug program), and ex-user drug information sources are perceived to be more credible than pamphlets, newspapers/magazines, radio, and television. Among the media, pamphlets were felt to be most believable. Examination of the believability in the media as sources of drug information by youngsters with varying substance use behavior found that the more students are involved with substances, the less credible they percieve the media to be.