Anti-Drug ads, why are they such sensationalistic bullshit? Ads like this use fear to send a message that says "This and all drugs WILL kill you and nothing else" which simply isn't true. Yes there are dangers to taking drugs, yes they are damaging to your body and mind, BUT they do not instantly kill you (in most cases), you do not run out and get in your car and run over small children in the street. This particular ad says "might as well stick a bullet in your head..." what? really? sorry but no, putting a bullet in your head is like putting a bullet in your head not an Ecstasy tab. Granted you cannot educate someone with just a few words on a simple ad, but blatantly lying isn't helping anyone.
Kids know that taking something once generally will not kill them (I'm not saying that it hasn't, simply that statistically this result is uncommon especially with drugs that people often try first such as marijuana), and they are not as naive as the people who create these ads would like to believe. I remember when I took health classes in school, when drugs were discussed the teacher was not educated on realities of drugs but instead on statistics and whatever the book taught. Although this is expected as teachers are background tested and drug tested and no I do not want teachers on drugs teaching our kids, not my point. For drug education classes I think that it would be beneficial for students to hear from someone who has done drugs, to talk to them about their experiences, it would still accomplish their goals of striking fear into the hearts of minors and paint a more realistic picture of life on drugs. Back to my point that kids know more than you think, by the time any health class talks to kids about drugs those who were curious about them have probably already tried them. If they are thinking about experimenting with drugs believe that they will, and telling them no drugs are bad wont stop them, in fact it may push them to do instead in defiance of you. That's why I think its important to be honest and realistic when you talk to kids about drugs, the internet is right there for both you and the kid and independently you may both come to very different conclusions . Because guess what while you might be looking up "how to talk to my kid about drugs" they might be looking up "how to make meth" both readily available answers.
Now ads like this are not limited to just illegal drugs, there are also anti-drinking ads, and they are just as bad, like this one.
Pretty much polar opposites right? The one for teens says you die and the ad for adults conveys a message that says "drink Budwiser and hot women will have sex with you" although we all know better it's funny to analyze the situation. So the exact same main ingredient in both substances changes its effect based on your age? I think not. We all know that the alcohol industry is alive and well and largely due to its advertising but also that most adults enjoy drinking and can do it in moderation, there are idiots but thats why there are DWI's. Marketing and business need aside, alcohol is a drug and is dangerous if used in excess, the same as most drugs with the exception that alcohol is legal.
Due to the industry we look at alcohol a lot differently than we look at drugs, you look at someone who is an alcoholic differently than you look at someone who is a drug addict. Would you look at someone who uses lets say heroin, differently if heroin were legal and sold in stores? Possibly, not very likely though because when you think of a heroin addict you see something like this in your brainbox
Not a pretty picture is it. Not nearly as glamorous and easy to conceal as alcoholism..
Anyhow, there wasn't much of a point to me posting this, just that I saw the ad at the top of this blog and was annoyed by it and it made me think of how people are quick to point fingers at everyone but themselves. I agree with the ads that say talk to your kids, thats it, talk to them and level with them. Don't talk down to them, don't preach and most importantly LISTEN to what they have to say back to you.
No comments:
Post a Comment