I’ve used one of these in a past post, but ran across them again this evening and thought I would share these two particularly poignant examples of Soviet style anti-alcohol propaganda. The picture on the left is titled “Socially Dangerous” and the one on the right, “Alcoholism”. Both I dare say are self-explanatory.
Click “Read more” to continue…
Hat Tip and thanks to TDA reader Norm for the heads up on this one!
One of the best known PSA’s of my time is the “Crying Indian” in which the stoic Native American lets loose a solitary tear in response to the littered environment. We may have got a handle on the littering, but if he's read the latest government study showing that more than one in ten Native American deaths is alcohol related you can bet he is still crying.
WASHINGTON - Almost 12 percent of the deaths among Native Americans and Alaska Natives are alcohol-related — more than three times the percentage in the general population, a new federal report says. ~
Click “Read more” to continue…
Hat Tip and thanks to TDA reader Norman for the heads up on this one!
In Britain, the Drug and Alcohol Service of London (DASL) has launched a campaign against binge drinking targeting women by appealing to one of the less noble human qualities, vanity. Lord Lytton once said, “There is nothing so agonizing to the fine skin of vanity as the application of a rough truth”… and anyone who has woke up after a hard night drinking and looked in the mirror can surely attest to this fact.
The rough truth of the matter is that people who abuse alcohol not only have to battle the physical effects of harmful drinking, but also the damage that accompanies this kind of lifestyle. Sleep deprivation, cuts and abrasions, poor hygiene, and stress are just a few of the accompanying features of substance abuse to add to the DASL’s warning that, “Apart from a stinking hangover, it warns women they will also be more prone to wrinkles, bad skin, hair loss and weight gain if they knock back too much booze.”
They even created an application that allows you to upload your picture to simulate the effects of prolonged alcohol abuse. So I took advantage of this application to run a little scientific test myself. I ran two of my favorite female celebrities, both with substance abuse problems, through the program. Care to guess who is in recovery and who is not?
For answers, click “Read more” to continue…
Northamptonshire: The county has also been described as "England's Pancreas", most notably by the popular presenter Alan Titchmarsh in has 2007 series The Nature of Britain. This is due to its shape and location within the UK, and because it is regularly overlooked, especially compared to neighboring Warwickshire, known as "The Heart of England". ~ Wiki
England’s Northampton County is using what I consider one of the more effective methods in combating substance abuse and drug dealing and that is by concentrating on the victims.
While being an alcoholic myself I understand the disease and can sympathize with the plight of those with an addiction, but the stark reality of the situation is that we have brought this upon ourselves. The general public tends to have this attitude also and often takes a “too bad, not my problem” attitude… an unfortunate mistake.
Click “Read more” to continue…
This green sticker promoting the “Parentalyzer” was pasted to the front page of my Sunday paper yesterday. It is part of a campaign to combat underage drinking developed for the Alabama Department of Mental Health & Mental Retardation (They also sponsor the Governor’s Substance Abuse Task Force of which I am a proud member).
Taking advantage of all media formats including print, internet, and TV ads the campaign focuses it message on parents, not their kids. I think this is an excellent strategy that will prove most effective; we know all about how well less inspired and lame PSA's perform. The TV ads have been run during the widely watched American Idol (statewide)-, during which the site is showing a thirty percent increase in traffic.
Not always the fastest guy on the draw, I must admit that until reading a review of the site I didn’t understand that name was a take-off of “breathalyzer”. In other words, parents are urged to use the device to see whether or not their parental skills and knowledge on the issue of underage drinking are up to standard. I think this may be successful, especially the manner in which the parents are portrayed repeating widely held but dubious in nature beliefs about teens and alcohol just might make a few people think twice.
Decide for yourself, I have placed both ads for your perusal below the fold.
Click “Read more” to see the videos…
"How can a teenager in today's world be expected to learn right from wrong without any genuinely persuasive PSAs to guide them?" Levinson asked. "No kid is born bad. But if television doesn't provide them with the love and care they need, and tell them how to distinguish between good and bad, they have no chance." ~ Moms Against High Kids
Yes, it’s an old parody but some of the PSA’s (public service announcements) on drug and alcohol abuse have been so bad it almost rings true; Teen Drug Use Traced To Ineffective PSAs. This weekend however Screedler sent me a video of an old PSA addressing drunk driving that is just out of this world.
