Pubdate: Sat, 01 May 2004
Source: Seattle Sinner, The (WA)
Contact:  http://www.seattlesinner.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2876
Author: Chuck Foster

DRUGS AT WAR - THE NEW AD CAMPAIGN

My daughter was staying with me for the summer when I found out she had 
took up the addictive habit of smoking. She was twelve at the time and was 
literally terrified by the notion of me telling her mother. Of course I 
would never handle a situation this delicate by informing her hypocritical 
Christian mother, and by letting her know that our relationship 
strengthened. I didn't punish her, and by throwing the parental fear-factor 
out the window she felt comfortable opening up to me about her smoking.

The first thing I decided to do was give her as much information as I could 
on smoking. The second step I took was warn her of the consequences she 
would face if her mother caught her. Third, and most importantly, I left 
the decision of smoking up to her. Less than a year later she quit and her 
mother never knew anything of the incident.

Allowing our children to make decisions on their own can have positive 
outcomes; depending on the child and the manner it's handled. The worst 
thing to do is lie, and that's exactly what caused the DEA's last ad 
campaign against drugs to fail. Children and parents, like myself, who 
smoke pot found the old commercials ridiculous, exaggerated, and more than 
anything, nonfactual. The old refer madness technique with the crazed pot 
smoker doesn't work any longer because most of us have tried pot or know 
people who have used it.

So our DEA, with the help of our mighty tax dollars, has launched a new 
campaign. One that started with a commercial during last years super bowl 
that went for around $2,000,000 for a thirty second clip, followed by 
another during the post-game show. These new commercials and ads are now 
putting pressure on parents to influence their children against drug and 
alcohol use.

It's a great idea, but the sad truth for most families today is that they 
barely see their kids, much less have time to influence them. Strangely, 
these commercials never show the real-life scenario of families working two 
jobs or more just trying to make ends-meat so they can pay for these 
commercials.

The DEA's affiliate site, www.mediacampaign.org , has over 160 new ads 
presently running through out the country on television, radio and print, 
mostly targeted at alcohol and marijuana. These ads are also ran in several 
different languages, since there isn't any value placed on saving a youth's 
life; unless it comes to medical coverage, then they're on their own.

Even though the ads may have changed some the message of lies and twisted 
facts they present have not. On one ad it instructs parents to watch for 
their children missing school, using incense, talking in slang, wearing 
clothes that promote drugs, and even using mouthwash or breath mints to 
detect possible habits. These are the same foolish and misleading 
suggestion that my mother followed twenty years ago. The same ones that 
never worked.

My daughter asked me about drinking and drugs not too long ago. I explained 
that I felt the idea of laws to distinguish the legality of a drug and/or 
establish an acceptable age to use it was an unachievable goal, especially 
in this country today. I told her that it would be best to never use any 
kind of drug, including legal ones. I also explained that responsibility is 
the key to focus on in this confusing world, that addiction and 
over-consumption of any product can be devastating on her life. And that's 
what's most important to me.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart