NSW Government Launches Anti-Drug Campaign, “Stoner Sloth”. Beautifully, It’s Also Th

[poledriver]

NSW Government Launches Anti-Drug Campaign, “Stoner Sloth”. Beautifully, It’s Also The Name Of An Online Weed Store

In the latest attempt to be some sort of dorky omnipotent dad, the NSW government has released a new anti-marijuana campaign aimed at school-aged millennials — with an absolutely blazed sloth as the mascot. “Stoner Sloth” can’t seem to differentiate between salt and salad, is socially inept and flunks school exams because they are Stoner Sloth and they are stoned literally all of the time.

Obviously, the internet thinks this is hilarious.

Using Tumblr as their platform, because they have on good authority that that’s what all the kids are using these days, the government has uploaded a series of Stoner Sloth videos, with a bunch of cringey hashtags, such as #fail and #embarrased (yep, they misspelt ’embarrassed’). They’ve even made some Stoner Sloth gifs, which seem to be quite successful so far, depending on how you measure success.

The ads are also doing the rounds on Facebook, where the whole ridiculousness of the campaign gets taken even further in the comments. “Is this a legit campaign HAHAHA” and “I literally can’t tell if this is satire or legit” are the majority of comments being posted, and “it’s no joke” and “it’s legit” are Stoner Sloth’s completely serious responses.

The message is “you’re worse on weed”, and this first clip tries to drive this home by implying if you get stoned, you’ll show up to parties and just groan at people and hold out your huge claws in front of you really awkwardly (but also kind of adorably??).

Then there’s the very scary scenario of being stoned with your parents at dinner and getting momentarily confused between salt and salad. Like omfg could you imagine #fail #awkward #stonersloth.

Apparently, they missed the memo where sloths are both a universally beloved creature that every single person on the planet wishes to one day own as a pet, and the already-existing symbol for getting unashamedly, catastrophically stoned. In a really brilliant twist of irony, the ‘stoner sloth’ trope is used so widely amongst marijuana smokers that there is even an online weed store named after it. Stonersloth.com is only an “.au” away from the government’s anti-marijuana site. You cannot make this stuff up.

But aside from being deeply absurd, the ads come across as out of touch. While the rest of the world is decriminalising and even legalising recreational marijuana use — and Australia is slowly but surely catching up with medicinal use — the campaign feels particularly anachronistic, and a huge waste of taxpayers’ money.

At best, the ads are inadvertently contributing to a wider public discussion around the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of drug prohibition and criminalisation. At worst, they’re encouraging kids to get a pet sloth (and that’s arguably the best). Either way, the NSW government is pretty much the only one not favouring from them.



http://junkee.com/nice-try-guys-4/71169

 

[RDP89]

The stoner sloth appears to be more highly advanced than most other sloths. Somehow the weed made it more human like but how do these people expect it to do full on human shit without a bit of trouble? It's still a sloth for fucks sake.

 

[Mel22]

Lol this is great.

 

[poledriver]

#StonerSloth anti-drugs campaign from NSW Government trends on Twitter, makes people laugh

A stoned sloth is the face of a new campaign from the NSW Government aimed at deterring teenagers from smoking cannabis with the tagline "You're worse on weed".

The #StonerSloth campaign, jointly released with St Vincent's Alcohol and Drug Information Service, has garnered significant reaction on social media, with #StonerSloth trending at number one on Twitter Australia on Saturday.

Many users are saying the advertisements, which depict a stoned sloth in various youth environments, are "ridiculously funny" and "an early Christmas present".

The campaign has its own website, as well as a Facebook and Tumblr page featuring videos, gifs and images encouraging teens to stay away from marijuana.

In the first clip a human-sized sloth, Delilha, is struggling in the classroom. The accompanying gif's tagline states: "When you realise you should have hit the books and not the bong."

Next we meet sloth Jason, who is too high to pass dinner around the table: "Stoned at dinner and the struggle is too real."

Finally, we have Dave, who is definitely not the life of the party: "TFW [the feeling when] you realise you shouldn't have smoked up."

NSW Premier Mike Baird tweeted in response to the online reaction Saturday afternoon: "I've been assured no sloths were harmed in the making of those #StonerSloth ads" and "Just saw the #StonerSloth ads. Not sure where NSW Gov's ad guys found Chewbaccas siblings, but those videos are ...Quite something".

The Department of Premier and Cabinet told the ABC the campaign was designed to reach young people before cannabis use became a serious problem.

"The 'stoner sloth' public awareness campaign has been designed to encourage positive behaviours in young people before bad habits start, and motivate discontinued use of cannabis before they become dependent," it said in a statement.

"The campaign is designed to appeal to, and be 'shareable' among, teenagers who are some of the most vulnerable to cannabis use."

The department said younger people responded to campaigns highlighting short-term consequences of their actions.

"Studies have shown that those who use cannabis on more than 50 occasions are nearly seven times more likely to manifest schizophrenia than those who have never used cannabis, and teenagers who smoke cannabis weekly or more are twice as likely as non-users to have an anxiety disorder in their late 20s, even if they stop using," it said.

"This campaign aims to prevent these damaging consequences."

It confirmed the campaign would not be run on television.

In NSW, if you are found guilty of possessing or using cannabis, you could get a fine of up to $2,200, and/or other penalties including community service work or a term in prison of up to two years.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-19/stoner-sloth-campaign-nsw-government-laughable/7043192

 

[belligerent drunk]

Well, regardless of whether cannabis is legal and/or acceptable to smoke, children and teenagers shouldn't do it. I'd say 20 is about a good time to start, not much earlier. Nevertheless, this stuff is funny.

 

[poledriver]

'Stoner Sloth' anti-marijuana campaign: Take our name off it, says expert body

he National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre will ask the NSW Premier's department to retract its claim that the centre's research lay behind its #stonersloth anti-marijuana social media campaign which is going viral for all the wrong reasons.

The campaign, which depicts a stoned sloth failing in class and messing up at the dinner table, is being mercilessly ridiculed by social media users. Many are predicting that because sloths are cool among young people, the campaign character may be perceived as more loveable than pitiable and it will have the opposite effect of steering young people away from marijuana.

It even attracted the attention of Premier Mike Baird, who tweeted: "Just saw the #StonerSloth ads. Not sure where NSW Gov's ad guys found Chewbaccas siblings, but those videos are... Quite something."

Another social media user suggested it would not be long before ironic T-shirts were printed and worn with pride. Several people noted that it was even more hilarious if you were stoned when you watched it.

The NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet and NSW Health launched the campaign which a spokesperson said was created by an external advertising agency and "informed by research conducted by the National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre. "It was designed to be shareable among young people who are some of the most vulnerable to cannabis use and to encourage them to stop using before they become dependent," the spokesperson said.

"They have used our name to cover this campaign ...We are going to ask them to print a retraction that it is based on work that we did," said centre director Jan Copeland.

"NCPIC was not consulted on any of the creative elements of this campaign," Professor Copeland said. When contacted for a comment about the campaign she said the inquiry was "the first we have seen or heard of it".

Professor Copeland said the centre was asked to provide an overview of the research supporting cannabis public awareness campaigns this year, but its recommendations were very general. "We stressed the importance of testing the key elements with the target audience and to be honest with young people and avoid sensationalism".

"Using this kind of character is ...likely to have an effect other than those that were intended," Professor Copeland said. "Associating a sloth with people being intoxicated may convey a positive appeal to people being intoxicated rather than the intended negative message."

The campaign message is "You're worse on weed". It has a website, www.stonersloth.com.au, videos, GIFs and pages on Facebook and Tumblr and comes with helpfully shareable hashtags including #stonersloth, #fail, #examfail, #baked, #stoned and #embarrasing (with embarrassing mis-spelling included).

The sloth falls asleep in class and in exams ("When you realise you should have hit the books and not the bong"), confuses salt for salad at the family dinner table ("Stoned at dinner and the struggle is all too real") and is the guy at the party people take selfies with because he is so out of it ("When your mate turns into 'that guy' at the party").

"We know that younger audiences respond more to campaigns highlighting the short-term consequences of their actions", she said.

Professor Copeland said there was clear scientific evidence that regular cannabis use in adolescence has a negative effect on academic performance.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/stoner-sl...-ridiculed-20151219-glrjzh.html#ixzz3un706LMR

 

[poledriver]

 

[poledriver]

NSW Government's #StonerSloth hashtag backfires spectacularly after Twitter users label it 'the worst anti-drug campaign ever'

A government advertisement starring a stoned sloth has backfired spectacularly on social media and been deemed 'the worst, and most hilarious anti-drug campaign ever.'
The NSW Government's #StonerSloth campaign depicts a human sized stoned sloth looking lethargic at settings such as a school examination and a house party.
The bid to raise awareness about the dangers of marijuana has been relentlessly mocked on social media, with the #StonerSloth soaring to the number one trending Twitter spot on Saturday.

In the bizarre advertisement, the sloth falls asleep in class and in exams, confuses salt for salad at a family dinner, and is generally out of sorts a house party with friends.
Social media users have taken the campaign to task, pointing out that the popularity of sloths among the internet generation will deem the stoner sloth is admired rather than pitied.

Others slammed the campaign for being anachronistic at a time when marijuana is being decriminalised and picked up for medicinal use across the world.
The campaign includes Tumblr videos and has tags like #fail #awkward #embarrasing (which was ironically spelled incorrectly) and #examfail.

Cont -

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...vernment-campaign-backfires-social-media.html

 

[poledriver]

 

[poledriver]

‘Stoner Sloth’ tells Australian kids to stop smoking weed, it’s hilarious

How do you get young people to listen to government anti-drug campaigns?

Use a human-sized sloth, of course.

This is exactly what Australian authorities have decided to do with ‘Stoner Sloth’.

The video shows the stoner sloth unable to complete a school exam, embarrassing himself in front of family and friends.

MORE: Canada reiterates promise to legalise recreational use of marijuana

Using the slogan of ‘You’re worse on weed’ this campaign may not have the effect it was aiming for.

Let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to spend time with a cuddly human sized sloth?

The cuteness of the stoned sloth does somewhat undermine the serious anti-drug message.

http://metro.co.uk/2015/12/18/stone...s-to-stop-smoking-weed-its-hilarious-5573548/

 

[nuttynutskin]

At least the US doesn't have dumb shit like this.

 

[szuko000]

At least the US doesn't have dumb shit like this.

Ours look like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1w8mYU207g

Definitely less abstract and with a hint of reality and a way better message. But thats also after recreational marijuana was accepted there are some commercials involving a kid on a bike and a group of kids in a car at a drive through, you must have seen those in like 2004

 

[poledriver]

^ lol... Done with a bit more class. That guy playing basket ball should have done a really light weight air ball at the end that his mates catch.

 

[nuttynutskin]

Ours look like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1w8mYU207g

Definitely less abstract and with a hint of reality and a way better message. But thats also after recreational marijuana was accepted there are some commercials involving a kid on a bike and a group of kids in a car at a drive through, you must have seen those in like 2004

I haven't seen any anti-marijuana adds on tv in forever.

 

[poledriver]

Stoner Sloth is a symptom of our inept drug debate

The Stoner Sloth campaign is a symptom of our poor drug conversation. If we legalised marijuana then we could discuss how it's used without euphemisms, hypocrisy and bizarre furry animals, writes Jeff Sparrow.

Meet Barry, a notorious stoner. Even within a group of friends so dedicated to marijuana they call themselves the "Choom Gang", Barry is famous for loving his weed.

Whenever a joint is passed, Barry jumps in before his turn, shouting "Intercepted!" and then takes a long toke. In lung-busting sessions in the gang's VW "choom wagon", Barry rolls up the windows so no smoke can escape; he insists on punishing anyone on board who exhales too quickly for wasting precious bud. Barry calls this philosophy "TA" (for "total absorption").

You can be excused for thinking Barry belongs in the NSW Government's new Stoner Sloth campaign, plaintively bellowing and making feeble three-toed gestures as he fails at passing the salt or making small talk at a party.

Actually, though, Barry's done quite well for himself. These days, he's less Stoner Sloth and more POTUS.

That's right: Barack Hussein Obama, current president of the United States of America, was once a big time herbsman.

It's easy to mock Saatchi & Saatchi's new anti-weed campaign. It's fun too, as the internet quickly discovered, with one enterprising YouTuber even drawing on Stoner Sloth to provide the most credible explanation so far offered for the late unpleasantness known as Tony Abbott's prime ministership.

You have to wonder just how baked they were in the Saatchi & Saatchi boardroom when they allocated their anti-drug website (Stoner Sloth.com.au) an almost identical url to that of a marijuana dispensary (Stoner Sloth.com). In the wake of #QantasLuxury and #McDstories and #susanalbumparty (yes, that was the hashtag for a Susan Boyle album launch), did it really not occur to any of the marketing hotshots at a prestige advertising firm that a social media campaign featuring a stoned sloth might go viral for all the wrong reasons?

Yet the Stoner Sloth fiasco isn't merely the fault of clueless ad executives. The story of Barry and his Choom Gang illustrates the fundamental hypocrisy that renders sensible discussion of drug use well nigh impossible.

The teens targeted by #Stoner Sloth are not stupid. They know that the Boomers loved to get high; that the world is now run by Barack Obama and people like him; that a huge proportion of the politicians and judges and newspaper editors and school principals did, at one stage or another, inhale.

"There are hundreds of thousands of pot smokers that work full-time jobs, pay their bills, help our nations run, even teach our children. One way or another weed hasn't ruined people's lives."

That's Stoner Dan, the proprietor of the original Stoner Sloth.com (which is now, one imagines, enjoying an inadvertent boost in traffic courtesy of the NSW taxpayer). Dan's quite right - and that's why scare campaigns don't work anymore.

Today's teens smoke weed for the same reason that Barry did: simply, getting high is pleasurable. That's why, over the festive period, Australians will adjust their moods with huge quantities of booze.

Everyone knows that alcohol's far more dangerous than marijuana. Yet in NSW (as elsewhere in Australia) possession of cannabis can land you in jail. The prisons of America are jammed with those who shared Obama's enthusiasm for the audacity of dope - but who, unlike him, had the misfortune to be caught.

Prohibition prevents proper drug education. If you can get past the sloth's frenzied moaning, the messages conveyed in the NSW campaign are pretty unobjectionable. Yes, kids, it's probably not a good idea to smoke marijuana when you're preparing for an exam. It's also sensible not to make weed consumption central to your life (there's a reason why Barry eventually stopped riding the choomwagon).

But that then begs the obvious questions: when should you smoke and how much is too much?

For all the problems caused by alcohol, the social acceptability of that particular drug makes conversations about safe consumption habits at least theoretically possible. We can discuss the difference between a glass of wine over dinner and chugging vodka until you vomit. But marjuana's illegal irrespective of the circumstances in which it's consumed.

That's why the Stoner Sloth ads fall so flat. To some, it appears they're advocating responsible marijuana use - but responsible marijuana use can still land you in jail.

As every stoner knows, most of the dangers about toking weed are a direct consequence of the legal prohibitions on its use and sale.

By definition, Stoner Sloth must score his dope from someone prepared to risk the more substantial penalties on dealing. After buying from a criminal, our furry friend becomes a criminal himself, sparking up his blunt with one eye open for the narcotics squad. He has no real idea of the particular strain he's ingesting; he can't talk to anyone about how marijuana might react with whatever prescription medication he might be taking; and because he's forced to keep his habit secret, his friends and family have little idea about exactly how much he's smoking.

Prohibition doesn't work. It costs billions of dollars. It criminalises ordinary people; it makes the drug use that inevitably happens far more dangerous. Legalisation could save money and save lives - and, according to a new study, doesn't necessarily correspond with an increase in teen use.

That's why, like marriage equality, marijuana legalisation is slowly spreading across the globe.

But, as with marriage equality, Australia is lagging behind. Which politicians are even talking about it here? NSW premier Mike Baird tweeted recently that the Stoner Sloth videos were "quite something".


But the sloth's a symptom, not a cause. Legalise marijuana, and then we can discuss about how it's used without euphemisms, hypocrisy and bizarre furry animals.

Jeff Sparrow is a writer, editor and broadcaster, and an honorary fellow at Victoria University. His Twitter handle is @Jeff Sparrow.

With comments -

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-...is-a-symptom-of-our-inept-drug-debate/7047276

 

[DRUGZNOTHUGZ]

lol

 

[manboychef]

its funny in the add that the sloth is singled out for smoking pot, but in a lot of shots, it is clear that other partygoers are drinking out of red solo cups (the international symbol for keg party).....

 

[belligerent drunk]

its funny in the add that the sloth is singled out for smoking pot, but in a lot of shots, it is clear that other partygoers are drinking out of red solo cups (the international symbol for keg party).....

Didn't you know that cannabis is the Devil's lettuce, and wine (alcohol) is Jesus' blood? Which one would YOU choose?

 

[ro4eva]

OMG I couldn't stop laughing at the sounds he makes. Totally remindeds of a distant relative of Chewbacca.

On the other hand, I find it disturbing that some yuppie-knucklehead somehow reasoned that this is a serious and effective anti-Marijuana PSA. In the end, it makes me wonder whether the person ultimately responsible for Oking it was/is severely intoxicated.

Edit - Love the satirized screenshots!

Edit - "Uhhhhhhhhaaaaaaa-ugh!"

Oh, and talk about double standards, eh? (The partygoers consuming ALCOHOL - hello? Did the yuppie-knucklehead miss that as well?)

 

[Captain.Heroin]

My pet sloth prefers heroin.