SACRAMENTO — Gov. Pete Wilson on Thursday kicked off an advertising campaign to combat teenage pregnancy and touted it as the largest media blitz ever aimed at the issue.
State and private contributions are expected to generate $22 million in television commercials over the next two years--enough to maintain a broadcast level equal to most statewide political campaigns.
The television message will be bolstered with public support from celebrities such as National Basketball Assn. star Mitch Richmond of the Sacramento Kings and the youthful cast of "Dangerous Minds," an ABC television program about life at an inner-city high school.
"No kid is going to listen to me--a 60-year-old in a suit," said Sandra Smoley, head of the state's Health and Welfare Agency. "But they do listen to role models."
The media effort will attempt to do what government so far has bungled--reaching troubled youths who often distrust authority and believe parenthood will replace the love missing in their lives.
Last year, after spending $25 million over five years, the state ended a program to fight teenage pregnancy because a study found it to be ineffective. Researchers concluded that the focus on teaching abstinence was lost on students who felt that the program did not recognize what their lives are like.
This time, abstinence is a more subtle message. Sponsors hope to emphasize the difficult consequences of bearing a child.
In one of the television commercials introduced Thursday, that stress is demonstrated by a teenage mother who is unable to go out with friends, get a job or pay her mounting bills.
This time, the state also plans to send its message through sources as familiar as television characters. In a segment of the "Dangerous Minds" program that was broadcast at the kickoff Thursday, a teenage mother is shown warning her friend about the hardships of parenthood.
"Don't you love your baby?" the friend asks finally.
"I love my baby so much I wish I had waited 10 years to have her," the mother says.
The Latino community, which according to state statistics accounts for 60% of the teenage pregnancies in California, was also targeted with a Spanish-language commercial featuring singer Vikki Carr.
The television commercials end with a telephone number for a 24-hour hotline that will open May 1. The number--(888) TO-B-THE-1--will direct callers to teenagers services, and offer advice both to parents of teenagers and to youths who face questions about sex and parenthood.
