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Ad Links Teen HIV Infection, Drug Use

Posted on: Friday, 2 December 2005, 12:00 CST

By Marguerite Higgins, The Washington Times

Dec. 2--The National Institute on Drug Abuse yesterday debuted a television ad, featuring two local high school girls, linking HIV teen infection with drug abuse.

The ad, part of a $130,000 public education campaign, highlights research showing that drug and alcohol use increases the likelihood of teens engaging in risky behavior and contracting HIV.

The federal health agency, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, released the ad on World AIDS Day.

"There is a big link between HIV/AIDS and drug abuse and alcohol use," said Dr. Donald Vereen, special assistant to institute director Dr. Nora Volkow.

About 40,000 Americans contract the virus each year, Dr. Vereen told about 150 high school students at the Duke Ellington School of Arts in Northwest.

About one of every 20 D.C. residents is infected with HIV, he added. The virus is spread through sexual contact, shared use of contaminated needles or infected blood, or by infected, pregnant women to their offspring.

The commercial follows a text-messaging exchange between two teenage girls.

The girls, both seniors and theater students at Duke Ellington, discuss via their cell phones a mutual friend, who recently discovered she contracted HIV after taking drugs at a party and engaging in "risky behavior."

"I was excited to be a part of this because it's for a great cause," said Zaibaa Mahdi, who plays the black friend in the ad. Zaibaa, a 16-year-old Northwest resident, said it was her first commercial part.

Rebecca Hollingsworth, the 17-year-old white actress in the ad who starts the text-message conversation, got the part on her first day at Duke Ellington, after she evacuated from her home in the New Orleans area after Hurricane Katrina.

"[The ad] works because people do text message each other all the time," said Rebecca, who is temporarily staying with her aunt in the District.

Duke Ellington students screamed and cheered after viewing the commercial.

"It was wonderful information," said Timesha Sutton, a 12th-grader who studies in the instrumental department.

"It could definitely be practical to us, but I already practice abstinence," the 17-year-old Northeast resident said.

Ninth-grader Larry Dixon said he appreciated the frank talk about sex that accompanied the ad press event.

"It's important to learn stuff like that so when I have sex, I'll be protected," said the 15-year-old Northeast resident, who studies in the vocal department.

The 60-second public service announcement, which was put together by Rockville health communications company IQ Solutions Inc., began airing nationwide yesterday.

The ad is expected to be shown on local broadcast stations and also will be screened before movies this week at the Avalon Theater in Northwest.

Print versions of the ad will be placed on Metro buses and platforms in the District and the Dallas Area Rapid Transit this month, IQ Solutions said.

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Copyright (c) 2005, The Washington Times

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Source: The Washington Times

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