Federal Grants Now Fund Youth Anti-Substance PSAs and Youth-Run Contests

The newly introduced Youth Substance Use Prevention and Awareness Act is pretty straightforward: it’s about taking federal money already earmarked for crime prevention and making sure some of it can be used specifically to run public service announcement (PSA) campaigns targeting youth substance use.

This bill amends how certain grants under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act can be spent. Essentially, if your organization gets this federal funding, you can now officially use it to create, launch, and expand PSAs aimed at preventing drug use among young people (Section 2). This funding covers everything from TV and radio spots to digital ads, provided the materials are age-appropriate for the targeted audience. Think of it as a green light for more of those hard-hitting, evidence-based campaigns you see online and on billboards.

Putting Youth in the Driver’s Seat

One particularly interesting provision is that the grant money can be used to fund PSA contests where young people submit their own announcements. This is a smart move, recognizing that the most effective messaging often comes from peers (Section 2, New Uses). Instead of relying solely on adults trying to figure out what resonates with teenagers, this provision allows organizations to tap into youth creativity, potentially leading to more authentic and impactful campaigns. For a high school student interested in film or graphic design, this could mean a paid opportunity to contribute to a critical public health message.

The Accountability Check

The bill isn’t just about spending money; it’s about proving the money is well spent. It assigns the Attorney General the job of issuing a detailed annual report on every grant used for these PSA campaigns. This report has to cover five key things, which is where the rubber meets the road on accountability (Section 2, Reporting What Happens).

They must detail the specific campaign, the research used to develop the messaging, whether the message was tailored for a specific region, and how the PSA fits into the grantee’s overall substance use prevention strategy. Most importantly, the report must include an evaluation of how successful the campaign was. While the bill doesn’t specify how success should be measured—a minor point of vagueness—the requirement itself forces grantees to think about outcomes, not just output. This means less funding for campaigns based on gut feelings and more for those backed by data showing they actually help lower drug use rates among kids.