Many people concerned about the problem of drug abuse in the United States contend that Americans, especially teenagers, are influenced by positive portrayals of drug use, drinking, and smoking in movies, television, and music. If their assessment is true, then it is not so farfetched to believe that popular culture can discourage substance abuse as well. In 1997 President Bill Clinton’s administration sought to prove that theory.

The White House and the television networks negotiated an agreement under which the networks could place antidrug messages in their television shows in lieu of airing antidrug advertisements. The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) reviewed the scripts and made suggestions to improve the drug-related plotlines. Shows with episodes approved under the arrangement included ER, The Drew Carey Show, and The Practice. Among the issues addressed in these and other shows were teenage drug...