WHITE HOUSE GOES TUBING….YOUTUBING

ABC’s David Kerley reports: While the White House has become the first federal entity to post videos on the popular internet site YouTube, there are questions whether the government will accomplish its goal. The video site is a favorite with young internet users. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy posted a half dozen youth anti-drug public service announcements Monday night. "Teens are moving on-line, and so is the campaign, "Tom Riley of the White House office told ABC News. These are the same clips that already have aired on national television, part of a program that started eight years ago. The government is not paying to post the videos. Riley says, "It doesn’t cost a dime. The government is not known for low or no cost efforts."

But the Government Accountability Office, in a report last month, said the White House program has not been effective in reducing youth drug use. The GAO endorsed an independent study which found that "exposure to the advertisements generally did not lead youth to disapprove of using drugs and may have promoted perceptions among exposed youth that others’ drug use was normal." The GAO recommends that congress limit funding for the campaign which has been funded with $1.4 billion between 1998 and 2004.

The White House "strongly disagrees" with that report saying the ads are effective in stemming teen drug use. The Drug Policy office is paying for ads on some internet sites saying it is trying to reach more Americans on-line to provide government information. Another spokesman for the Drug Policy office, Raphael Lemaitre, says, "If just one teen sees this and decides illegal drug use is not the path for them, it will be a success."