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ringo · Dec 3, 2002, 09:59 PM

Has anyone else seen the new anti-marijuana ads that are running on TV is the US? They're really kind of bizzare...attributing all kinds of violent behavior to people who smoke. It almost seems like a modern version of "Reefer Madness" or something.

Check out "Drive Through" or "Den" here to see for yourself.

What's up with the recent move against marijuana? I'd think the focus would still be on serious drugs like crack, heroin, or crank.

juanvaldes · 10:11 PM

because are government is run by idiots.

they are so stupid I can't help but laugh

Everyone should watch Den.

PorscheBunny · Dec 3, 2002, 10:08 PM

� that we voted against but they still bought enough votes to be elected.

ironknee · Dec 3, 2002, 10:24 PM

I wonder if the people who wrote the ad ever smoke it?

juanvaldes · Dec 3, 2002, 10:33 PM

Originally posted by ironknee:
I wonder if the people who wrote the ad ever smoke it?

it's very obvious they have not. I mean, look at them! I bet they were made via some committee of "upstanding citizens" who get **** faced on expensive wine and scotch.

Jansar · Dec 3, 2002, 10:40 PM

Watch Requiem For A Dream . You'll be shocked out of your mind! You will never do drugs again!

juanvaldes · Dec 3, 2002, 10:48 PM

Originally posted by Jansar:
Watch Requiem For A Dream . You'll be shocked out of your mind! You will never do drugs again!

own it, love it. Great flick on too many levels to mention here

voodoo · Dec 3, 2002, 10:55 PM

That "den" commercial was interesting. It could just as well have been an anti Charlton Heston commercial

But seriously kids. Don't do pot. It isn't worth it.

juanvaldes · Dec 3, 2002, 11:02 PM

I think that kid could win the darwin award

Seriously kids. Don't put guns in your mouth. It's not worth it.

PorscheBunny · Dec 3, 2002, 11:36 PM

spacefreak · Dec 4, 2002, 12:37 AM

Originally posted by juanvaldes:
because are government is run by idiots.

Burn one for me, dude.
I don't think the "idiots" who run OUR government would have blown that one.

That's 200 for me, and what a great quote to reply to for this grand achievement.

Jansar · Dec 4, 2002, 12:38 AM

Originally posted by juanvaldes:
because are government is run by idiots.

Is this another Bush dis?

ink · Dec 4, 2002, 12:45 AM

They somehow fail to complete the picture in those ads. If the drugs were legal, then those violent activities wouldn't happen. I don't smoke pot, but I think the ads are being intentionally dishonest with their presentation of the facts. The government has just as much responsibility for the violence inherent in the war on drugs as the users do.

If alcohol or tobacco were illegal, they could run the same ads against them.

juanvaldes · Dec 4, 2002, 12:47 AM

Originally posted by Jansar:

Is this another Bush dis?

no, it's very simple. Our governemtnt is run by idiots, it was before bush it will be after bush. (insert Clinton as you see fit

)

Jansar · Dec 4, 2002, 12:50 AM

Originally posted by juanvaldes:

no, it's very simple. Our governemtnt is run by idiots, it was before bush it will be after bush. (insert Clinton as you see fit )

oh, well, yes...in that case you are absolutely right. it's just that our nations leaders are focusing on other important issues, and their minds may be taken away from drug issues.

juanvaldes · Dec 4, 2002, 12:54 AM

Originally posted by Jansar:

oh, well, yes...in that case you are absolutely right. it's just that our nations leaders are focusing on other important issues, and their minds may be taken away from drug issues.

did you see the link in the first post? someone seems to have the time to come up with these stupid ads.

Jansar · Dec 4, 2002, 12:58 AM

Originally posted by juanvaldes:

did you see the link in the first post? someone seems to have the time to come up with these stupid ads.

seriously...but they're not working very well (I could be wrong)...I mean I see these ads on TV and I still can go out and do drugs without worries (not that I will anyway)

Your parents are not the Anti-Drug if they don't keep you from it or promote it. If your parents didn't want you doing drugs, they'll let you know!

Usama's Carcass · Dec 4, 2002, 05:16 AM

meh. folks can smoke all the weed they want--just...
1. don't buy from dealers. grow your own and don't sell or barter it.
2. don't smoke if you have serious responsibilities: children, nuclear weapons control, etc.
3. don't do it in public. If you want the right to get high, respect my right not to see it or smell it. The Taliban latrines in Kandahar smelled better than weed, and believe me, those latrines were busy--the americans bombing non-stop and kicking our tails all over afghanistan really gave us the runs!

yakkiebah · Dec 4, 2002, 10:48 AM

f�cking hilarious!

can't be real, can it?

davesimondotcom · Dec 4, 2002, 11:57 AM

These ads are about as effective as most of the Ad Council ads. They aren't.

At least they aren't like the ads being run in my county where they cite statistics like "80% of all Such and Such Middle School Students Don't Do Drugs."

That's as good as saying - "Hey, kid, look to your left, look to your right, look behind you, look in front of you. If you can't get drugs from one of them, you must have them!"

The Godfather · Dec 4, 2002, 01:04 PM

Simple. If you don't have any dreams whatsoever, I urge you to smoke pot, tobacco and become an alcoholic.

mitchell_pgh · Dec 4, 2002, 01:09 PM

Ha ha...

Nice to see they are on top of things...

maxintosh · Dec 4, 2002, 01:16 PM

I think that the ads *could* have a point... they're a little bit shocking though...

I generally agree that marijauna should be legalized for private use.

HOWEVER, I've seen a lot of people do really ****ing STUPID things while stoned, and there certainly have been incidents of (accidental) fatalities resulting from it. The difference between alcohol and pot is that you can have a couple of drinks and still be sober, but marijauna gets you very high, very quickly.

People with dependents should not be allowed to smoke in the presence of their dependents. Likewise, the penalty for driving under the influence should be as severe if not more severe. (I actually think that DUIs are not severe enough. Nothing is more horrible than putting other people's lives at risk for your own stupidity). Smoking (cigarettes or pot) should absolutely NOT be allowed in any public sectors.

With that said, the ads are kind of dumb. I'd like to see marijauna legalized, the drinking age reduced to 18 years old, and the pot-smoking age put at 21 so you can at least have some experience with potentially dangerous substances before you do something dumb.

It IS your body, and as a fully responsible adult you should be allowed to do what you want AS LONG AS YOU ARE NOT PUTTING ANYONE ELSE AT RISK WHATSOEVER. Children should, as always, be well educated on the dangers of addiction, smoke inhalation, overdosing on alcohol, and inhibiting judgement that comes along with substances.

ringo · Dec 4, 2002, 01:59 PM

It's the stupidity of the ads that bother me the most. It seems like the violent behaviors would be more likely from a drunk than a stoned person. It also seems like alcohol would be more of a risk to kids because it is legally available to their parents and easier for a minor to get as a result.

If they're going to make an anti-pot ad, it should at least warn of the dangers of sitting on the couch and eating junk food.

I'm not encouraging minors to smoke pot or anything (at least wait until college), it just seems like there are greater dangers that our government could be using their advertising budget for.

A lot of states have moved to near-legalization. Why is the Ad council freaking out about weed all of a sudden? I don't understand why the focus has moved away from more dangerous drugs.

thunderous_funker · Dec 4, 2002, 02:25 PM

Originally posted by ringo:
A lot of states have moved to near-legalization. Why is the Ad council freaking out about weed all of a sudden? I don't understand why the focus has moved away from more dangerous drugs.

I suspect it's because all politicians buckle at the knees when someone says anything remotely connected to, "won't someone please think of the children?!"

If it kills thousands of anonymous people somewhere else, who cares? If it has even the hint of endangering children, politicians will jump on it like a bean & cheese burrito at a Doobie Bros concert.

So they purposely target kids with anti-drug stuff. The adults with drug problems are a problem for prisons anyway, right?

The other part is the fallacy that pot is a "gateway drug". Everybody knows that if you puff a joint, you're mintues away from raping grannies for their social security checks to support your heroin habit. It's just commen sense, right?

Lastly, I think it goes back to the foundation of all bad parenting, i.e. scaring kids is the best way to teach them something. Since kids are too stupid to be reasoned with and too blind and ignorant to see the natural consequences of habitual drug use, it's necessary to frighten the bejesus out of them with ads that show pot smoking leading to rape, manslaughter, and smuggling dirty nukes into the country in suitcases. Everyone knows that trying to terrify kids with extreme case scenarios is the most effective method of preventing unwanted behavior, right?

cjrivera · Dec 4, 2002, 03:17 PM

Originally posted by thunderous_funker:

Lastly, I think it goes back to the foundation of all bad parenting, i.e. scaring kids is the best way to teach them something. Since kids are too stupid to be reasoned with and too blind and ignorant to see the natural consequences of habitual drug use, it's necessary to frighten the bejesus out of them with ads that show pot smoking leading to rape, manslaughter, and smuggling dirty nukes into the country in suitcases. Everyone knows that trying to terrify kids with extreme case scenarios is the most effective method of preventing unwanted behavior, right?

Maybe that's a good point FOR the ads.

Remember when you were a kid and your parents told you the extreme case scenerios (like in the ads), did u listen? If you were like me... Nope. But when they explained things to you and talked to you like a responsible person, then it sank in better. The extreme scenerios tended to sink in if a 3rd party told it to you. Let the ads show the extremes, so when parents discuss drugs with their kids, they don't have to use those examples.

By the way, not all the ads are those extreme case scenerios. There are some out there that encourage you to talk with your parents/children about drugs. Who knows, maybe the extreme ones will affect some kids? When the target audience is as broad as "all kids in the US", you may have to use a variety of different messages.

tooki · Dec 4, 2002, 03:26 PM

Everyone here remember the D.A.R.E. program?

I've met people who said that when they were in class, and the friendly cop explained the effects of each drug, they were like "Oh, cool! I'm gonna try that!"

Some prevention that did, LOL!

tooki

bewebste · Dec 4, 2002, 03:26 PM

Drugs are bad, mmmkay?

thunderous_funker · Dec 4, 2002, 03:29 PM

Originally posted by cjrivera:

Maybe that's a good point FOR the ads.

Remember when you were a kid and your parents told you the extreme case scenerios (like in the ads), did u listen? If you were like me... Nope. But when they explained things to you and talked to you like a responsible person, then it sank in better. The extreme scenerios tended to sink in if a 3rd party told it to you. Let the ads show the extremes, so when parents discuss drugs with their kids, they don't have to use those examples.

By the way, not all the ads are those extreme case scenerios. There are some out there that encourage you to talk with your parents/children about drugs. Who knows, maybe the extreme ones will affect some kids? When the target audience is as broad as "all kids in the US", you may have to use a variety of different messages.

In my experience, extreme scare tactics almost universally cause direct experimentation with the purported taboo. Especially if it concerns something as prevalent as pot. Since nearly everyone knows a pothead, it's pretty foolish to tell kids that potheads kill people, rape girls, etc etc. The principle reaction in that case is, "Damn, I know lots of people that do nothing but smoke pot all day long and they're idiots, but they're harmless. Remind me not to listen to you anymore because I don't think you're telling me the truth."

Example:

Authority figure: "Masturbation will make you go blind!"

Child: "Hmm, I masterbate 3 times a day and so does everyone else I know. Since there doesn't seem to be a blight of blindness striking us down , I think it's safe to assume that authority figure above is full of sh!t. I will hence forth take all their threats with a grain of salt regarding any number of social taboos."

thunderous_funker · Dec 4, 2002, 03:34 PM

Originally posted by tooki:
Everyone here remember the D.A.R.E. program?

I've met people who said that when they were in class, and the friendly cop explained the effects of each drug, they were like "Oh, cool! I'm gonna try that!"

Some prevention that did, LOL!

tooki

Exactly!!

Being a relatively sheltered kid, I was utterly ignorant of all things drug related until they were described to me in full vivid color by the local police in our classroom in 5th grade.

Not only did I learn what drugs cause what highs, but I learned all about the necessary equipment to administer the drugs including a syringle made from a plain old eye-dropper. The Fraternal order of Police in Sierra Vista, AZ are singlehandedly responsible for making me endlessly curious and utlimately determined to get my hands on some of that sh!t to see for myself.

I'm sure our parents blamed the Media or something. LOL!

MrBenn · Dec 4, 2002, 05:29 PM

"One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws."

Martin Luther King jr.

nonhuman · Dec 4, 2002, 05:53 PM

Originally posted by thunderous_funker:

Exactly!!

Being a relatively sheltered kid, I was utterly ignorant of all things drug related until they were described to me in full vivid color by the local police in our classroom in 5th grade.

Not only did I learn what drugs cause what highs, but I learned all about the necessary equipment to administer the drugs including a syringle made from a plain old eye-dropper. The Fraternal order of Police in Sierra Vista, AZ are singlehandedly responsible for making me endlessly curious and utlimately determined to get my hands on some of that sh!t to see for myself.

You should send them a letter thanking them for it. Send a copy to the newspapers too.

thunderous_funker · Dec 4, 2002, 05:58 PM

Originally posted by nonhuman:

You should send them a letter thanking them for it. Send a copy to the newspapers too.

Even better. I can go on the hyprocrite lecture circuit. You know, the a$$holes who stand up in front of kids and brag about how lecherous, overdosed, debauched they were and conclude with, "Go ahead, find out the hard way like I did."

Meanwhile the child audience realizes, "hey, he did drugs and had all that fun and then he quit and now he's cool. No problem!"

juanvaldes · Dec 4, 2002, 06:05 PM

I found my DARE book when I left for college. All I remember was that if you lick a particular toad you get high off it's piss. Well, they did a great job, I had the properties of being high and drunk perfictly reversed

Good thing I got a REAL drug education from my older brother and pescidero middle/high school

Lerkfish · Dec 4, 2002, 06:17 PM

To me, the biggest problems with all the programs to keep kids off drugs is that they are either done by people with no direct (and therefore credible) experience with either the pressures the kid goes through on a daily basis, or the actual effects/side effects of the drugs themselves. Essentially, a really huge ignorance while trying to seem authoritative and instructional. This reads immediately as BS to any kid in the vicinity, and it should.
The other thing, which is almost worse (and was mentioned in previous posts) is to have former addicts, now supposedly gone straight to speak to kids and basically say "Do as I warn you, NOT as I did". This method of instruction has NEVER worked, to my knowledge.

The best thing to do would be:
1. admit honestly there are initial euphorias and highs that come from using drugs, which make them attractive for experimenation.
2. Honestly relate the REAL long term effects without exaggeration or hype.
3. point out that the biggest problem with drugs is they are an incredible WASTE. of time, of money, of your life...because it interrupts you doing anything of any importance until you get yourself straightened out.
4. Relate honestly the dangers of ANYTHING not used in moderation, not just street drugs, but prescriptions, alcohol, what have you.
5. MOST IMPORTANT: arm them with complete knowledge, and then TRUST them to make the right decision.

voodoo · Dec 4, 2002, 06:52 PM

I smoked cannabis when I was a junior in high-school. It was totally boring, but I kept it up for a whole semester. Until one night, I took the last smoke and never looked back. Just didn't do anything for me, except make me socially awkward for an hour or so. Yay.

Sure kids, knock yourself out. But I promise you, you'll regret ever touching that ****.

(This was just a story from my experience.. I couldn't care less if anyone is affected by it or not)

ps. Practice saying "no" in front of a mirror couple of times a day, if you are having problems with it in general.