I’m not sure if you caught the news, but about a week or so back there was a bit of controversy over the new anti-methamphetamine ads that have begun to be aired in the US.
It seems that the NZ Drug Foundation doesn’t like the ads because the NZ Drug Foundation prefers to take a harm minimisation approach (like helping people to take drugs safely) to the serious problem of drug use.
I love the ads and I think it’s high time that we produced our own NZ versions of them.
It’s good to see that someone still has the guts to stand up to the namby-pambies and sandal wearing types who don’t like telling it how it is.
I have posted the ads here so you can make up your own mind (they only take 30 seconds to watch – just click on the play button in the middle of each screen to watch them).
This is my favourite one:
[youtube]CfI5lCoA3b8[/youtube]
And here are some of the others:
[youtube]LNKAH_-RSts[/youtube]
[youtube]maA9qwp1aRo[/youtube]
[youtube]3ZvWh4g83Z8[/youtube]
[youtube]E-iEA6-I1xU[/youtube]
[youtube]PWsqBIN6VD0[/youtube]
[youtube]5-IUigK4qGY[/youtube]
[youtube]CDZjEsT_NzQ[/youtube]
Thanks for the post Ox, I’ve been meaning to check those out.
I heard the NZ Drugs Foundation guy talking about this issue on the radio a few times last week. I’m pretty flabbergasted at what he was saying, which was along the lines of: “You don’t get hooked by trying P once, and if we lie to our children they’re not going to believe us about anything.”
I understand what he’s saying – but what is the drug foundation doing endorsing an opinion like that!? You don’t have to believe exactly what these ads are saying to comprehend the message that drugs are a slippery slope. Surely, just raising the profile of the problem helps?
I was confused, and I can’t see how what he’s saying is going to help the problem. Certainly the people who called the radio show afterwards, many of whom had experiences with the drugs, didn’t agree with him.
Great post, Ox…
although the volume on my comp was a little too high when I opened the first one. Not the sharpest option…
Captain – I agree – I can’t see how what he’s saying is going to help either! There are people with predilections to addictions – how is ‘trying’ P going to help them? It’s crazy!
It’s no solution at all. Better education is.
Here’s an interesting thought:
Captain, you rightly mention, in regard to the comment by the NZ Drugs Foundatino guy:
‘I understand what he’s saying – but what is the drug foundation doing endorsing an opinion like that!? You don’t have to believe exactly what these ads are saying to comprehend the message that drugs are a slippery slope.’
It’s a little bit like the condoms in Africa argusation we were all having a week or so ago. I mean, we all know, as Humanae Vitae argues, that the use of such ends up with more moral problems (esp. in regard to the perception of women as objects et al)…
I just wonder if there is a parallel…?
Yeah, I think you have a point there FXD. If the Catholic Church doesn’t take the anti-condom stand – and stay strong about it – who will?
But that doesn’t make it any easier to accept!
“But that doesn’t make it any easier to accept”
Good on you for your honesty Captain.
I know how you feel about this issue, but yet you still acknowledge the validity of the Church’s position on it.
I think it’s really commendable when people are still open enough to see the good, even in something they might not necessarily be 100% on-board with.
I also agree with your comments about the NZ Drug Foundation.
I have seen and heard their spokesman in several interviews over the last couple of years and he seems totally obsessed with harm minimisation philosophies.
Sometimes it sounds like he believes that no one can, or should be encouraged to stay away from drugs. It’s almost like he believes that drugs aren’t that bad, and that as long as you don’t get too hooked on them and you practice safe drug taking then it’s all okay.
Not only do the NZ Drug foundation operate needle exchange programs which provide clean needles to drug users to shoot up with, but they also have a TXT service where you can get free advice about any drugs you are thinking of taking.
I don’t get it.
Having seen firsthand the damage that even the supposedly soft drugs (like Cannabis) will do to a person, I don’t understand why we aren’t dedicating more time and resources into warning people about drug use instead of promoting harm minimisation messages which imply that you can use drugs and still be okay as long as you’re careful about it.
It’s just like the messages that used to be presented about cigarettes before we began to take that problem seriously – “don’t smoke cigarettes, but if you do then make sure that you always use a filter”.
wow those are hardhitting. The ads should definately be shown here. I was dumbfounded by the drug foundations comments too. Surely showing the reality of meth would be a deterrent and stop some people from making the fateful decision to try it. But then NZ is just too PC and too concerned with people being free to make whatever choice they want regardless of the consequences.
Not only do the NZ Drug foundation operate needle exchange programs which provide clean needles to drug users to shoot up with, but they also have a TXT service where you can get free advice about any drugs you are thinking of taking.
Lord have mercy. Who is funding this crackpot of a program?
Totally agreed TTM.
Unbeleivable. We have some seriously problems in our health sectors.
On another note, some strong words coming out of the Vatican this week: take a look
Gay marriage is evil, abortion is terrorism says Vatican
If only our health people could speak with such conviction against meth.
BUT you know that when you tell people – especially young people – not to do something, it will be more tempting for them to try it!
I read some time ago that in countries like the Netherlands where drugs are legal, they have lower percentage of people using it. I’m not saying that we should make it legal, but I don’t think making big ads will ever make any difference either – the opposite is possible.
I’m sorry Damianus, but it is a total fallacy to believe that making something illegal will simply encourage more people to do it.
It’s a Liberterian myth, and it’s a really dumb way to make laws.
Murder is illegal, rape is illegal, but I don’t know anyone who has been tempted to try either of those!
Laws should always be made around what is best for society and what is best for the individual, while at the same time respecting legitimate freedoms.
It’s funny how the same people who think that making drugs illegal is a bad thing never feel the same way about rape, murder, child abuse, etc.
Yes, people will almost always break laws – but you don’t make or change laws based on whether or not people are going to obey them!
Oh, and the Netherlands is an interesting case in point. Very few locals use drugs but heaps of foreigners do. I am told by people who have lived there that most locals don’t use drugs and they aren’t actually too fond of the loose drug laws there. I also understand that there is a serious underground drug problem in the Netherlands, despite the fact that they allow legal drug use – which was supposed to curb that problem.
For those who are interested, here are some quotes from the NZ Drug Foundation website:
“Using just one approach, such as one that is purely abstinence-based, can obscure necessary information, ignore safe practices and fails to reflect the reality of society’s long-held use of recreational substances.”
From a section regarding the drug policies they support…
“safer use practices: when someone does choose to use drugs, they know safe limits and safe practices to not harm themselves or anyone else”
From a section on how to use LSD safely:
“LSD is active at extremely low doses and is highly unpredictable, causing negative hallucinations, impairing the ability to make sensible judgements and understand common dangers. Therefore it is best to take the drug when in a calm and relaxed environment in the presence of peers with whom there is a positive relationship. This will increase the likelihood a safe experience.”
Each drug has it’s own section on how to use it safely!
When you read this website there is actually very little to discourage a person from actually using drugs, instead the serious risks are downplayed by implication or by what is overtly stated.
This website does not discourage drug use, not only does it give advice on how to use dangerous drugs, but it even has price details and other bits of info that aspiring young drug users will find quite helpful.
I’m surprised that they don’t provide the phone numbers and addresses for local tinnie houses and P dealers!
Glad you’ve uncovered this, Mr Ox (I am reluctant to call you dumb).
In fact we have to conclude, as you have aluded, that those who run this organisation are not opposed to drugs. In fact they seem to be what we might call druggies, just as those who run the Aids Foundation are very much in support of homosexual sex. We have not just a rise in political correctness I think – though the same ideology seems to be controlling both foundations – which seem to regard the destructive behaviours as ‘recreational’ and as ‘choices’, which must in fact be accepted, simply because they happen, so we can only help at the level of ‘how’ things should happen and not at the level of ‘whether’ things should happen.
Effectively the same thing exists with the Abortion supervisory committee (despite the fact that in law those who would strongly favour abortion are not to be on it!)
Imagine if there was a NZ Rape foundation that started prescribing advice for safer rape. And on closer examination was run by a group of rapists.
The liberal snake is well entwined in NZ politics, is it not?
Ox,
I was in no way saying that I believed making sth legal would discourage people from doing it. All I was saying was that ads would do nothing or very little to curb the abuse. You might be advertising drugs by doing so… You know, some people simply think it’s cOoL to do drugs, smoke, drink alcohol, etc. etc. Like it’s cool to be bad boys at school… They are the most vulnerable, because they are fond of challenges, and it’s more challenging for them to do drugs the more they are told not to. That’s all I was saying…
And actually, you have pointed it out too:
Why is it the foreigners (presumably come from countries where drugs are illegal) who use more drugs in the Netherlands – not the Dutch themselves?
hi Captain
have been away from a computer, but have just seen your message.
Hats off from me. Whether it’s easy to accept or not, at least there’s clear direction…(I think that’s what you’re saying?)
Bat on!
poorclear,
yah, it sounds plausible that they may well be druggies, without trying to judge. I mean, everything on the site points to making it easy to take the things and without the consequences.