Starting in 2000, the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign worked with corporate and community-based organizations to create "My Anti-Drug" murals. These murals, located in 26 cities around the United States, provided youth with an opportunity to express and tell the world what stands between them and drugs. The murals supported the Campaign's positive messages of a drug-free lifestyle by encouraging youth to focus on the thing that keeps them from using drugs - their Anti-Drug.

Murals are a visual way of expressing feelings and thoughts about life. By creating "My Anti-Drug" murals, a community gives youth a positive way to express what is important in their lives and demonstrates the benefits of coming together for a common good. What's more, a community Anti-Drug mural can provide young people with new mentors and role models in the safe haven of familiar surroundings and neighbors.

This guide provides the tools to develop a "My Anti-Drug" mural in your community. It contains basic instructions on how to lead youth through activities that build self-respect, responsibility, and teamwork and support healthy, positive, and drug-free lifestyles.

Developing a "My Anti-Drug" mural can be fun and can also teach young people some important "life lessons" in the process. Each stage in the development of a mural provides an opportunity to learn decision-making and master new skills.

The "My Anti-Drug" Mural Guide, an initiative of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, was developed in partnership with the Philadelphia Department of Recreation Mural Arts Program and made possible by the generous support of AT&T Wireless. The guide gives mural arts and youth-serving organizations creative ways to use substance abuse prevention themes in their arts programs.

Download the PDF of the My Anti-Drug Mural Guidebook: Five Steps to Planning an Anti-Drug Community Mural.