Sophie Paterson

Unit 3 assignment 2
Drug abuse
The short documentary programme which will be featured on channel four, will be covering
the concerning issues of drug abuse. The target audience of this programme will be both
females and males between the ages of 16-25 as this tends to be the age where people
experiment with drugs. This allows young people to be educated about drugs before they
try/abuse them and therefore may stop them from using them. The documentary will last
approximately for an hour, including four short ad breaks. The programme will be played on
a Monday night between 6pm to 7pm. The first part of the programme will consist of the
dangers of the different type of drugs, which will feature interviews and appearances of
people who have abused drugs, whilst he second half of the show will be aimed at
encouraging young people to stay away from drugs as well as advice on how to not get
caught up in drug abuse. In order to make my programme I will have a budget of £35,000.
In order to gain knowledge on my chosen topic, and put together an appealing one-hour
documentary, I will need to use multiple research methods including qualitative and
quotative research which includes uses primary and secondary resources to gather
information. when completing primary research, I have gathered information by creating
and handing out a questionnaire which can be seen below.
Interview
SP- Hello, thank you for joining me today!
CP- hi, it’s not a problem, thank you for having me.
SP- How old were you when you first experimented with drugs? Were you pressured to do
it?
CP-I was 15 years old when I first tried using cannabis. But no, my friends didn’t pressure me
into it.
SP-So why did you do it?
CP-I had been wanting to try it for a long time. When I started to hang out with a new group
of kids at school, I was finally given the opportunity.
SP- Aside from cannabis, have you used any other drugs?
CP- Yes, I was around 18 when I was first introduced to cocaine by a close friend at a party.
SP-Did you ever think that you would become addicted?
CP- No. I had heard about drug addicts before, but I had always separated myself from
"them." In the beginning, mine was an occasional use which I thought I could control. I
mean, I was only taking it during social occasions.
SP- When did you realise that you were in fact addicted?
Sophie Paterson

CP- After about a year of using, I found that I could not function without it. My next high
became my priority. I could no longer concentrate in college, never mind hold down a job.
SP- when did you decide to get help for your addiction?
CP- I was 20, I had lost my family through it along with who I really am.
SP-Are you clean today?
CP- yes, I have been clean for two years.
SP-how did this effect your home life?
CP- I had continuous arguments with my parents to the point that they kicked me out. I had
also found myself stealing from them which is not person I am.
SP-What advice would you give to people who occasionally use drugs?
CP-Stop while you can. Addiction happens before you know it. I went from a casual user to a
full-blown addict without ever seeing it coming. What seems fun and games now will soon
be your worst nightmare.

Secondary research
Secondary research is just a crucial as primary research is when it comes to gathering
information about my chosen topic, so that I can make a good quality programme. Examples
include books, newspapers, journals and government statists etc. one in which I will be
using is newspaper reports. Having searched the web for newspaper reports concerning
drug abuse, I have found multiple interesting reports that include both facts and statics as
well as opinions that could be used within my programme. I have screenshot three
examples which are seen below.
Facts stated within this report include;
“Dr Peter Wilkinson, public health consultant for the council,
said: "There is increasing concern about the use of Xanax. It
can have a wide range of harmful effects and overdoses can be
fatal particularly when taken with alcohol and other drugs”
“Counterfeit Xanax pills laced with a powerful painkiller have
become a party drug among some young people. Now Public
Health England has told this programme users are "dicing with death".
"People buy things from the internet and they have no guarantee of what they are getting
so whatever is in the drugs they buy could change from one drug to another”
Sophie Paterson

facts stated within the report include;

“Many start as young as 11. By the age of 16 nearly one
in ten boys is regularly taking drugs - including heroin
and cocaine - with the statistics for girls almost as high,
according to a ground-breaking study.”
“Even the one in ten 16-year-old boys and one in
fourteen 16-year-old girls who told researchers they do
not take them admitted they expected to use them over the next 12 months.”
“A recent survey found that one in four young people in their teens and early 20s routinely
drives while under the influence. Nearly one in five believes taking drugs makes them better
drivers.”
“Britain is now the drugs capital of Europe, with higher
levels of cocaine and amphetamine abuse than anywhere
else in the EU, a survey said yesterday.”

I shall also be using statistics within my programme which will be found using internet
sauces such as websites and online reports. I personally believe that statistics is a good way
to communicate the point as it tends to shock the audience into disbelief. Below are some
statistics I have found online using the Gov.uk and NHS website.
•“In 2015/16, there were 8,621 hospital admissions with a primary diagnosis of drug-related
mental health and behavioural disorders. This is 6 per cent more than 2014/15 and 11 per
cent higher than 2005/06.”
•“There were 15,074 hospital admissions with a primary diagnosis of poisoning by illicit
drugs. This is 6 per cent more than 2014/15 and 51 per cent more than 2005/06.”
•“In 2015 there were 2,479 registered deaths related to drug misuse. This is an increase of
10 per cent on 2014 and 48 per cent higher than 2005.”
•“Deaths related to drug misuse are at their highest level since comparable records began in
1993.”
•“In 2014, 15 per cent of pupils had ever taken drugs, 10
Sophie Paterson

qualitive research

responses to advertising campaigns

Since the 1980s, the Ad Council and the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, as well as
other organizations, have undertaken the noble cause of trying to prevent adolescent drug
use with the help of advertising campaigns on TV and in print, and, more recently, online.
The campaign encourages kids who have questions about drugs to ask a “parent, teacher or
minister.” The flaw is obvious: How many teens do you know who think any of the adults mentioned
are arbiters of what is or isn’t cool? “This country has Puritan roots and we have a tendency to scold
rather than educate,” says Yost. “It’s not an effective tool in parenting and it’s not an effective tool
in advertising, either.” Further, a cartoonish advertisement featuring adults and/or a large dog

wearing a trench coat isn’t likely to be taken seriously by any teen, much less change his or her
attitude about drugs. A campaign called the “Montana Meth Project” appeared in 2005 with
the message of “If you do meth, you’ll behave in scary, immoral and dangerous ways that
you wouldn’t otherwise.” The campaign appeared in Print and television. The advertisement
was effect as Research indicates the Project has been successful in lowering rates of meth
use. The campaign is visually striking and as Yost notes, many of the images and videos
highlighting the negative effects of meth use come from talented filmmakers, such as
Darren Aronofosky, and professional photographers. The campaign succeeds
in shocking the viewer and highlighting the disturbing and erratic behaviour of
meth users. “I don’t know if the campaign is going to make anyone who is
already using meth stop,” Yost says, “but it certainly communicates the
downsides of meth use to people who haven’t tried it.”
Another campaign was called “No Brainer” and was in Partnership with for a Drug-Free-
America (now the Partnership for Drug-Free Kid). The advertisement appeared on TV in
2010 with the message of “Drinking or using drugs will cause you to do stupid, dangerous
things.” However, experts stated that “There’s nothing striking about the ad, nothing that’s
going to make you remember it.”
Lastly, the campaign by McGruff the Crime Dog “Users are Losers”. The advertisement
appeared in the 1980s by National Crime Prevention Council and the Ad Council on TV as
well as print. Professionals say that “An ad campaign that basically says, ‘I
know what’s best for you,’ isn’t going to have much of an impact.” The
campaign encourages kids who have questions about drugs to ask a
“parent, teacher or minister.” The flaw is obvious: How many teens do you
know who think any of the adults mentioned are arbiters of what is or isn’t
cool? “This country has Puritan roots and we have a tendency to scold rather than educate,”
says Yost. “It’s not an effective tool in parenting and it’s not an effective tool in advertising,
either.” Further, a cartoonish advertisement featuring adults and/or a large dog wearing a
trench coat isn’t likely to be taken seriously by any teen, much less change his or her
attitude about drugs.
Sophie Paterson

Response to news coverage

Previous research has suggested that the media conveys a mainly negative impression which
‘demonizes’ and ‘marginalizes’ drugs users and misrepresents drugs users, drug use and its
effects. Other UK Drug Policy Commission (UKDPC) research has shown that nearly two-
thirds (64%) of adults in the UK agreed with the statement that “People with a history of
drug dependence are too often demonised in the media”. The UKDPC therefore
commissioned the Loughborough Communications Research Centre (LCRC), to undertake a
comprehensive and systematic study of the coverage of drug users and drug use in print
media in the UK, to improve our understanding of the way drug users and drug use is
represented in the British press.
This research involved analysing all items (over 6,000 in total) referencing drug users or drug
use in eight newspapers (representing national, regional, tabloid and broadsheet papers
from across the UK) in each of three years, 1995, 2002 and 2009. This found that:
• There was no apparent trend in the amount of coverage of drug use and drug users over
time. In 1995 there were 1,642 items, this rose to 2,759 in 2002 and then fell to 1,763 in
2009.
• The majority of coverage (80%) was in news reports in all years, with feature pieces
mentioning drug use or users being next most common (10%).
• The most frequent trigger for a newspaper item that featured drug use (25% of items) was
an event within the criminal justice system; for example, a reported court case or arrest.
This was particularly the case in the English regional press (38% of items).
• There were other variations between types of newspapers. The activities of celebrities and
public figures were more likely to trigger drug use coverage in the tabloid press (9% of
items) than in the broadsheet press (3%).
• The use of certain drugs was more frequently mentioned than others. The majority of
items involved Class A drugs, although cannabis was the most commonly mentioned
individual drug (22% of items).
• Compared with other drugs, coverage of ecstasy was much more commonly triggered by a
death. Indeed, deaths were the most common triggering event for reports on ecstasy, in
marked contrast to other drugs.
Sophie Paterson

Quantitative research
Programme ratings
Keeping in mind my target audience, I will need to carefully consider when my programme
will be shown as I need to ensure I will get maximum views. This means that I will need to
look at the ratings of programmes and complete research into when teenagers are most
likely to be watching the TV as well as how long thy will be watching for.
When completing my research on programme ratings, I will be using the website BARB
which provides us with detailed figures and statics regarding which channels are the most
popular, what time people are watching TV as well as the average viewing.
Using BARB I have found the most popular programmes that are featured on channel four,
which is the channel that my documentary will be featured on. According to BARB, the most
popular shows are goggle box with over 40 million views, 24
‘HOURS IN POLICE CUSTODY’ with three million views and ‘24
HOURS IN A & E’ with over two million views. This tells me
that channel four is a good channel to feature my show on as
it receives millions of views. The programmes that are
featured within channel four tend to be documentaries which
means the content I will be creating are similar to the shows
that are featured, meaning that my show is likely to have a
good amount of views.

Audience research
age
Research shows that drug use often starts in the teen years. However, science shows that
the younger you are when you start using drugs, the more likely you are to get addicted
later.
In 2003, the average age for first drug use among admissions to substance abuse treatment
facilities was 18.6 years. Among these patients, 14% started to use drugs prior to the age of
13 with marijuana being the earliest reported drug of abuse. Looking at total admissions and
the drugs used, 23% used marijuana, 9% used stimulants, 5% used opiates and 4% used
cocaine prior to their 13th birthday. Most of these underage drug users were referred to
treatment programs through their schools or the criminal justice system. One interesting
thing to note is that the number of admissions of those who took drugs prior to being 13
years old remains unchanging regardless of how many past admissions they have had. This
shows that their tendency to use remains despite spending time within drug treatment
centres, especially in these younger users.
Overall, statistics have shown that illicit drug abuse rises with age until it peaks at those
around 18 to 20 years old. After this, it decreases steadily as people get older. In 2001,
22.4% of drug users were aged 18 to 22. Compare this to the 3.8% of 12 and 13 years and
Sophie Paterson

the 4.5% of those aged 26 years and older who take illegal substances. In total, 51% of all
illicit drug users were aged 12 to 25. These numbers vary with the type of drug though, and
we can see that this age group prefers hallucinogens and inhalants. On the other hand,
drugs such as cocaine and psychotherapeutics were used more commonly in those aged 26
and above.
This means that when targeting my audience, I must keep this information in mind so that I
can aim for the most effected target audience. By researching the most common age of
drug users I have come to the conclusion that the majority begin young which means that I
must target a young t audience preferably ages 16-21 sot that I can educate them and warn
them about the drugs that they are taking. However, I must also ensure to include the
precautions and how to be ‘safe’ when taking them as this age range tend to ignore the
warning signs.
Gender
Men are more likely than women to use almost all types of illicit drugs (SAMHSA, 2014), and
illicit drug use is more likely to result in emergency department visits or overdose deaths for
men than for women. "Illicit" refers to use of illegal drugs, including marijuana (according to
federal law) and misuse of prescription drugs. For most age groups, men have higher rates
of use or dependence on illicit drugs and alcohol than do women (TEDS, 2012). However,
women are just as likely as men to become addicted (Anthony et al., 1994). In addition,
women may be more susceptible to craving (Robbins et al., 1999; Hitschfeld et al., 2015; Fox
et al., 2014; Kennedy et al., 2013) and relapse (Kippin et al., 2005; Rubonis et al., 1994),
which are key phases of the addiction cycle.
Research has shown that women often use drugs differently, respond to drugs differently,
and can have unique obstacles to effective treatment as simple as not being able to find
child care or being prescribed treatment that has not been adequately tested on women.
Market research
Advertising effectiveness
When anti-drug ads say, "don't do drugs," they inherently bring up the implicit question
"should I do drugs?" The ads can draw attention to a gap in what the viewer knows about
drugs, making them more curious. For example, when you miss a call from an unknown
number -- the phone ringing prompts you to wonder "who was it?"
In a 2008 study, participants who were primed with anti-drug PSAs were more curious about
using drugs than those that hadn't seen the PSAs. Wagner and his co-author, S. Shyam
Sundar, found that because anti-drug ads made the viewer think more about drugs, it could
also lead them to believe drug use is more prevalent than it really is. "These results should
be seriously considered, as it has been consistently recognized in psychological research
that curiosity is one of the most potent motivational forces for human behaviour," the
paper warned. Advertising is normally all about grabbing your attention, but Wagner says
that's a bad way to reduce drug use.
Sophie Paterson

As a BBC News feature put it in February, " a surprising number of anti-drugs campaigns
around the world still fall back on scare tactics and in particular the drug-fueled 'descent
into hell.'"
"It's not often so much a matter of what makes anti-drug ads effective," Wagner says. "It's
more about how we watch them that moderates their efficacy." If you're not paying close
attention to the ads, they can work better, his research has shown, by subtly transmitting
the message connecting "drugs" and "bad" rather than the equivalent of repeating it loudly
in patronizing caveman-speak. In the U.K., the "Talk to Frank" campaign has tried to provide
a more honest, nuanced portrait of drug use, one that encourages people to call the Frank
hotline for advice. But there still isn't direct evidence to prove that it's dissuading people
from taking drugs in the first place.
It's developmentally part of being a teenager to buck adult rules and take moderate risks.
Research shows the new campaign at least somewhat effective. A 2011 study on "Above the
Influence" found that only 8 percent of teenagers who were familiar with the campaign
started smoking pot, versus 12 percent of teenagers who hadn't seen it.
Even without heavy-handed ad campaigns, convincing kids not to do drugs is a tricky beast.
A recent study found that when parents admit to their drug use to their children, even as
part of an anti-drug discussion, their children were more less likely to think drug use wasn't
a big deal.
Production research
Costs
When it comes to the cost of creating my documentary, it is vital that I keep track of the
amount of money that is being spent, as the company has a limited budget of how much to
spend. There are three main factors that will affect the cost of the production including;
time, props and people. Keeping these factors in mind I have created a budget of £35,000.
After researching different presenters for my programme, I have chosen to include ross
kemp since he has been featured in many programmes linking with drugs. I will be paying
him approximately £15,000 to feature in my programme, however, due to his high demand
he may request a more which means I may need to re-consider my presenter.
I will also have to consider the locations that I will be using as depending on my chosen
setting I may need to pay to film in that area. However, if I was to use local parks/ streets no
cost will be required, therefor allowing me to spend the money on something else such as
more/higher quality equipment.
I must also be able to provide snacks for my staff and presenter which will be approximately
£100 a week. The filming will run up to five weeks which means the total cost will be
approximately £500.
Sophie Paterson

Below I have included the costs of equipment that I would also have to cover within the
budget.

Equipment Price
Studio camera £1935.00
Studio lights £375
Technician £320
Software editor £375

Conclusion
To conclude, I have used a verity of different research methods including both primary
secondary as well as quantitive and qualitive to find out information about my chosen topic,
which is drug abuse. Using these research methods, I was able to find out statics about ages
and gender linking with drug abuse as well as the programmes that gets the most ratings. By
finding out this information I am able to target a specific audience as I know what age is
mostly effected by drugs (15-21) as well as finding out that males tend to be more affected.
Sophie Paterson

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