LOS ANGELES, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and Ad Council and the Ad Council announced today the launch of a multi-year public awareness campaign focused on teen steroid use.
"We know athletes and individuals who choose to engage in the destructive behavior of illegal steroid use live in fear of being found out," said USOC Chief Executive Officer Jim Scherr.
"This initiative is geared to show teens and other age groups that illegal steroid use can only lead to a harmful and embarrassing end. Additionally, teens need to fully understand the dangerous health risks associated with steroids and other performance-enhancing substances."
The campaign is being funded by U.S. Olympic Team sponsor Johnson & Johnson, and it marks the first time the USOC and the Ad Council have joined forces to raise awareness about the national issue of illegal performance-enhancing drugs both within and outside of sport, the USOC said in a statement.
Components of the campaign will be launched during the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games and include TV, radio, print and Internet PSAs which convey the urgency of this critical issue in an effort to shift teens' perception and image around steroid use, the statement said.
"We are proud to partner with the United States Olympic Committee, Johnson & Johnson and creative agency TBWA on this critical issue to help teenagers realize that steroids are socially unacceptable," said Peggy Conlon, President & CEO, the Ad Council. "The ads are engaging and memorable, while motivating, and I believe they will have a great impact on teens and parents in our country."
The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization that marshals talent from the advertising and communications industries, the facilities of the media, and the resources of the business and non-profit communities to produce, distribute and promote public service campaigns on behalf of non-profit organizations and government agencies in issue areas such as improving the quality of life for children, preventive health, education, community well-being, environmental preservation and strengthening families.
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