The new drug ads

[doofqueen]

What do people think about them? I have seen them here and there when i've walked in the lounge room and have only seen three

*the one about xtc and speed
*the one about weed
*the one about smoking

I actually agree with the smoking one because smoking is one of the worst killers in australia and is LEGAL which is why it shits me that it seems to be ok to buy them (according to the government)

I understand that the other ads are trying to deter young children especially from trying these drugs but there a bit over the top don't you reckon?

My 10 year old asked me what xtc was.

That's so fucked that i was forced to explain it to him because of advertising and not when he is older and actually has a grasp of what drugs were.

Shouldn't the government be focosing on harm minimisation (like bl here) rather than the whole 'just say no' approach? Most kids ARE going to try drugs wether they know the dangers or not. Wouldn't it be better to educated them on how to be safe while on the stuff rather than just say "you don't know what it will do to you"

It's not like people that alreday do any of these drugs are going to have their minds changed and say "oh gee i didn't know that... better stop then!"

pffttttt

 

[Mary Poppins]

i also find these ads annoying - but i do appreciate the conundrum that anti-drug campaigns place the government in.

on one hand - i guess the conservative populace demands that active anti-drug campaigns are foisted upon Australia....

on the other hand - i'm sure government/law enforcement bodies realise the statistics of how many kids try/use drugs and realises that these ads are somewhat futile

i feel there will never be a way to attractively market anti-drug campaigns to youth....they always seem *uncool* and the fact that they blatantly exaggerate and borderline lie means that informed youth regard them with scorn.

Harm minimisaiton (IMO) is a far more effective way of reaching youth regarding the dangers and risks of drug taking - turning a blind eye to usage and experimentation and expecting that kids will swallow everything they see on TV is ridiculous

but as i said. it's what a large percentage of the population would like to see more of....so.....that's what we'll see

 

[0ff1cer_ch0ps]

i totally agree, i remeber the first time i saw the ads, i was like they are a total crock of shit.

Even though drugs will never be 100% safe, there are slight ways to make your experience with them safer, they always have to bring out the worse in everything when they advertise stuff just as a scare tactic!!!

Why are they just targetting MDMA and Ampthetamines, when they could be targetting G, or Heroin, or drugs that have A LOT more risks imo.

Fair enough, they are saying you will never know what is in a pill. Make drug testing kits more available! They do fuckin wonders!!!

Stupid government ads, most of the fuckin government, probably get fucked up all weekend anyways!!!

 

[Mary Poppins]

^ probably because these ads are primarily targeted at youth - of which i would say (from my experience - don't know for sure mind you) that MDMA, amphetamine, smoking and marijuana are far more common to experiment or use at this age.....

 

[gher]

School started teaching me about drugs at his age. They said 'just say no' back then. Despite this, I did my own research on the subject (as much as I could handle at that age, just flipping through medical factbooks).

Surely they'll force your son to learn as well? Where's he going to get better information - a government funded school or his mother, who reads this site? (Yes I know, setting a bad example but he doesn't have to know about that. )

As for the ads - they're a laugh riot! Yes I know stuff like that happens but I've seen people pass out more from alcohol and (of all things) guarana than ecstasy.

'You don't know what it'll do to you'? Yes I do, and that's exactly why I take it! Also why I don't take it as often now.

I read that article on Aus. Drugs about the shabs/ketamine combo. It described ketamine as 'suicide inducing'. Can't wait for the ads for K.

'I didn't know ketamine was suicide inducing...'

 

[Duckboy]

This is them

 

[anna!]

DON'T DRIVE ON DRUGS, YOU IDIOT!

Anyway, perhaps unpopularly I totally agree with the weed one. When I see that on TV, I actually have to turn it off because I so painfully wish there had been an ad like that on TV when I started smoking it. I believe my life would be a lot different.

So in that regard, I figure I can't be the only person in the world to think that way and if it helps one person, I don't care how many people it irritates. Preventing mental illness, which I'm so glad they touch on in that ad, is so important to me.

 

[Duckboy]

I'm in!!
Although the concept of "drug-free" should really have a lot more to do with friends shouting you.......

 

[roshy]

'We' don't know what drugs will do to us because THEY WON'T LET US KNOW.

"Drugs are bad. The only information you will receive from us about drugs is blatantly slanted and we will go to no effort to correct your misinformation. We'd rather kids keeling over on the dance floor so there can be an example made out of them, rather than teaching them how it can all be avoided."

Anyone read Anna's Story? That was the driving force of the anti-drug campaign in Year 6 high school. Perfect young woman who excelled at everything died after one night on ecstacy. The teacher read it out to us, and it scared us kids but good.

Only... they downplayed the part where Anna drank enough water to cause the salts in her brain to flow outward. And the part where her friends LOCKED HER IN A CLOSET when they didn't know what to do. And the part where they neglected to tell the ambo's what she had taken. So one bright young girl died because of this tragedy of errors that could so easily have been avoided.

Don't drink too much water. Make sure your friends are safe. And for the love of god, if anything goes seriously wrong, the ambo's must know everything without fear of reprisal.

This sort of thing doesn't work with sex (we'll just tell you to wait til marriage and leave it at that... hey what? You're pregnant?) and it certainly doesn't work with drugs. One-pronged fear-mongering techniques just don't work and there are going to be kids out there taking the risk of passing out at a rave instead of taking the knowledge with them of how to avoid it. Because not everyone is smart like us, coming to Bluelight to self-educate.

 

[doofqueen]

Surely they'll force your son to learn as well? Where's he going to get better information - a government funded school or his mother, who reads this site? (Yes I know, setting a bad example but he doesn't have to know about that. )

Yeah don't get me wrong. I have a very open relationship with my son and he's pretty well 'with it' about alot of stuff that goes past most kids heads his age. I'd much rather he come to me about drug information than his mates or whatever. I don't want him using drugs but that makes me a hypocrite (so be it though... this is my childs health i'm thinking about) but to be realistic he may possibly want to try something and i'd rather he be safe and knowledgable about it and come to me.

I think at 10 though i shouldn't have to explain xtc to him. That's shit me off more than anything.

 

[sierra]

I always wondered why I sucked at sports. I used to think it was because I'm just unco-ordinated and in need of glasses. Obviously I was wrong! The reason why I can't catch and throw is because of Marijuana use. Holy Hell, who'd have thought!

Half of me questions whether the people who wrote these ads were taking drugs themselves, or whether they are naturally stupid.

I think these ads, for starters, shouldn't be aired before 8pm. Exposing children to car crashes and drug addicts on tv right before bedtime creates nightmares and fear. To relay this fear parents are then forced to tell their children what drugs are, how they affect people, and then why children shouldn't take them. While I think it's important for children to be aware that drugs are unhealthy, I think that some age groups are too young to deal with the intellectual side of "why". And these ads hardly help, all they do is give a "Because I said so" answer.

I guess the main problem I have with the campaign is its slogan. "You don't know what it'll do to you". Well, uh, I actually do know... and so do a whole lot of other people. People take drugs for this very reason. To get high without having to drink alcohol. The slogan makes the entire campaign into a total joke for people who participate in drug use. And to those who don't know much about drugs, they promote suspicion and fear.

The outcome for parents is even worse. Parents who know very little about drug use (and believe me, there are quite a few...) are now being told that the tell-tale signs of drug abuse are things like depression, and not being able to catch a ball. In a nation where 80% of the population will experience depression at some point, it makes me wonder how many poor depressed teenagers are now being accused of taking drugs. Furthermore, how many parents will now think that by simply stopping drug use that depression and uncoordination will ~go away~?

This anti-drug campaign is just another nail in the coffin for safe drug use. A campaign that focussed on HOW drugs affect people would have been far more effective. I bet if we all pool some ca$h together we could air our own radio ads; although it seems rather pathetic that the public should need to combat a such a stupid government campaign. I suppose this is what you get when you have a one party system.

 

[Samadhi]

While i may not entirely agree with this new set of anti-drug ads, i think they're a hell of alot better than the old set where the parents and kids are are in various situations discussing drugs...

The ads (especially regarding "ecstacy" and speed), while extremely vague, do have the essence of fact in them:

* I've seen numerous people reduced to tears while coming down of "ecstacy"
* I've seen people lash out violently due to excessive amph use
* I've known and seen people become EXTREMELY paranoid due to speed use
* I've seen a couple of people that i've known through clubbing collapse at a club (this was before the advent of GHB & 1,4B up in Brisbane). When asked, their friends said that they'd taken "pills".
* I've known one person that has died up here (in 1992, Debra Hangar died due to taking PMA)

So yeah, while i don't necessarily agree with the anti-drug campaign (to me, they only raise more questions) but yeah, the "situations" that at least some of the ads that are shown have some truth to them.

 

[CHiLD-0F-THE-BEAT]

Originally posted by roshy
they downplayed the part where Anna drank enough water to cause the salts in her brain to flow outward. And the part where her friends LOCKED HER IN A CLOSET when they didn't know what to do. And the part where they neglected to tell the ambo's what she had taken.

^Exactly my experience. They tell you be afraid of drugs, yet fail to explain or make it in any way known the precautions one can take to minimise the harmful effects.

Some kids are going to experiment. As are adults.
No matter what scare tactic they use, people are still going to be using drugs. It's a fact we as a society need to accept and address.
The only way to prevent deaths and ill-effects of drug usage is education.

You're right, Roshy - - - not everyone has stumbled across BL. Not everyone realises this information is available at all, let alone on the internet.
I was having a conversation with ozsteveo just the other day about this - - - he professed to not knowing any information on drug use existed when he took his first pill.
He basically closed his eyes, and hoped for the best.

Is this what we want our children to be doing when the time comes for them to explore their world?
I for one would envisage myself sitting my child down, similar to how my parents have all those years ago, and explaining to them my experiences, my knowledge and my practial guide to the drugs I've used in my lifetime.

Not everyone in society is able or willing to do that - - - this is where the government needs to take some responsibility and action regarding education.

 

[chrissy]

they are absolutely correct and 'the thing to do' by putting them to society.
but as history has proven, these kinds of things dont work. no one is much surprised by shock value anymore. no one basically cares. everyone wants adventure, excitement in their lives. people not addicted will most likely still try it, those addicted with simply go "oh well, this hasnt happened to me so far, so..." and keep doing it.

works in theory, not in practice.

and hey, it makes it look like the govt. is actively doing something, right?

 

[lostNfound]

marijuana
you dont know what it'll do to you 8)

 

[MazDan]

I think that doofqueen raises a very valid point about her son asking the question what is xtc.

And while i have no problems with some sort of campaign, I think that it can often have a negative effect and that is certainly the case here.

I know that doofqueen has a very open relationship with her son and hence he has no probs asking his Mum when he wants to know something.

But how many other kids were wondering the same thing and instead ask there mates at school or older brother.

With the result that enough is learnt that makes it an item of interest and they will in fact end up trying it cos they prefer to believe someone whom they know that they believe is taking it with no repurcussions...........It immediately tells them the adds are bullcrap.

Most people who use speed xtc etc are gunna be partying at various venues throughout the cities........why not go direct to the source with an informative educatuional package............such a package that should include references for this site and others.

i think that would be more benificial than sewing the seed of interest in a bloody ten year old.

 

[anna!]

my posts were deleated because i was telling the truth they were moved to another thread which was in turn closed and labelled as "banter"... by mrs armchair nazi anna

8)

I split your posts into a new thread because they were off topic, in the hope that a new discussion might be formed. Alas, it deteriorated into an argument between you and KemicalBurn, thus I closed it.

But I'll CLAWS you for the armchair nazi comment anyway, because I'm tired of little shits who don't know me from Adam (or Eve) making such unfair and inaccurate character judgments. Hey! All the cool kids hate the way anna! mods! Quick, let's punch her in the face for taking the time to try to keep things on track instead of a mish mash of idiots posting dangerous and incorrect information!

 

[MazDan]

marijuana
you dont know what it'll do to you 8)

Not quite sure what your point is, but I for one certainly agree with the statement.

It doesnt affect everyone the same way............Even a small ammount causes me massive problems including extreme paranoia and vomitting.

So yes, it is a fair statement that "marijuana"........you dont know what it will do to you.

 

[drEaMtiMe*@#]

these ads are just using shock tactics, really. shock tactics may work sometimes but people generally have short attention spans hence end up doing what they were originally going to do at a later date anyway. harm reduction is a much better and longer lasting step by step approach in my opinion.

also, i just know when i think back to when i was a teenager that seeing these ads wouldn't have had that much on an effect on me. i was always going to do what i ended up doing because for me taking drugs was about rebelling against my parents, society, etc, and just the general "coolness" factor of it all. i wasn't a very happy person either, so in a way i guess i did what i did deliberately.

 

[lostNfound]

Not quite sure what your point is, but I for one certainly agree with the statement.

It doesnt affect everyone the same way............Even a small ammount causes me massive problems including extreme paranoia and vomitting.

So yes, it is a fair statement that "marijuana"........you dont know what it will do to you.

That I agree with. Yes, I was being facetious though. The avertisement is a little dramatic and over the top IMO.
I just think they could have made it a little more realisitc rather than focussing on death and ultimate depression and depersonalisation from your life and everything around you.