Graphic Anti-Meth Ads Aren’t Working
December 12th, 2008 by Alex
One of the government’s main tactics to warn against hard drug addiction is the use of graphic imagery. The basic rationale is that when the general population gets a good look at a person with eroding teeth and sores all over their face / body, they won’t want to get involved with the substance that caused all that ugliness.
One group in particular, the Montana Meth Project, has taken the graphic approach to a new level with an aggressive print campaign warning against the use of Crystal Meth.
The print campaign shows mostly younger teens and the severe consequences of using crystal meth “just once.”
In the December issue of Prevention Science, an independent review was released saying that the graphic approach might not be working.
After studying the effectiveness of the publicly funded ads for 6 months, multiple negative effects were found:
- threefold increase in the percentage of teenagers who reported that using meth as not a risky behavior
- up to 50% of teenagers reported that the graphic ads exaggerate the risks of using meth
- teenagers were four times more likely to strongly approve of regular meth use
- teenagers were more likely to report that taking heroin and cocaine is not risky
Not exactly the best way to spend tax dollars right? David Erceg-Hurn, the author of the review, also said that the MMP chose select positive statistics to further promote its efficacy to policymakers.
This is just another example of a huge expenditure in public financing without a tangible result. Sooner or later, the path of the scare tactic will stop making its way into anti-drug materials.
Check out a boatload of MMPs other ads after the jump…
Or, check out the hi-res versions.
Hope for Treating Meth Addiction
November 24th, 2008 by Perry
An experiment, conducted by the Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory, recently showed significant promise in treating methamphetamine addiction.
The treatment is a new drug called, vigabatrin (a.k.a. gamma vinyl-GABA, or GVG), which has shown effectiveness in blocking drug-seeking behavior in lab animals.
Stephen Dewey, a Brookhaven neuroanatomist who led the research team, said:
Reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior after an extended period of abstinence is the number-one cause of drug-addiction relapse.
There is currently no effective treatment for methamphetamine addiction, and vigabatrin may be the only known drug which has shown efficacy in stopping addictive behavior for amphetamines. Said tests were conducted on rats, and are currently being tested by Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners for use against cocaine and methamphetamine addiction in humans in Phase II clinical trials.
No Link Found Between Lung Cancer and Cannabis
October 27th, 2008 by Alex
A recent study reports that there is no increase in the likelihood of lung cancer from marijuana consumption, even among heavy smokers. Scientists who conducted the study seemed surprised by the results because marijuana contains up to 50 percent more of the carcinogenic chemicals which are believed to be the cause of cancer in smokers.
Researcher Donald Tashkin, MD, of UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine tells WebMD:
We know that there are as many or more carcinogens and co-carcinogens in marijuana smoke as in cigarettes. [...] But we did not find any evidence for an increase in cancer risk for even heavy marijuana smoking.
There are a lot of factors that could lead to the assumption that marijuana smoke accelerates cancer risks:
- high concentration of chemicals linked to lung cancer
- most marijuana smokers breathe deeper and hold smoke in longer
- the large variance of chemicals in different grades and strains of marijuana
So why isn’t the link there? Scientists believe it has something to do with the properties of our favorite isomer - THC. Cellular studies of THC suggest it might have antitumor properties and can encourage the death of genetically damaged cells.
This is great news. Now, all I need is for THC to be able to cook a decent meal and keep an apartment clean, then I’m marrying it.
Global Cannabis Commission in Session
October 10th, 2008 by Perry
Arguing under the basic assumption that if something is not legal then it can’t be regulated, the Beckley Foundation commissioned the GCC (which is composed of 5 leading marijuana policy experts) to put out a report titled, “Cannabis Policy: Moving Beyond Stalemate.”
Some report highlights can be found in Bruce Mirken’s excellent summary.
Depending on your amount of interest, the full report in its entirety can be found and downloaded here. (Warning: It’s a rather large .pdf document.)
Happy reading.
What Can Weed Do For You?
October 10th, 2008 by Alex
Our good friends at NORML, who are always busy fighting the good fight, have written about a recent study from Sao Paulo Univiserty, Brasil. It involves the boost in scientific interest regarding cannabidiol (CBD) and its potential uses in fighting multiple types of disease.
Cannabidiol has potential uses for:
- Parkinson’s disease
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Types of cancer
- Nausea
That’s not even a complete list!
All of these affected fields involve the types of medicative actions that CBD can provide. From sedative actions all the way to neuroprotective actions, this area of scientific research should be encouraged by the government and not stunted. What a shame.
[via NORML]
Drug Czar Achieves Epic Fail
October 9th, 2008 by Alex
Turns out that government agencies don’t like being called out on their absolute failures. What a surprise right? Since the ONDCP (Office of National Drug Control Policy) hasn’t come close to achieving its stated goals, the top brass has decided to just say they have and hope no one does a fact check.
People such as Scott Burns, the Deputy ONDCP Director, are saying that drug use in America is down dramatically since 2001. Hmmm, not according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
A recent article on AlterNet cites just a few of the failures of the Bush administration’s drug policy:
ONDCP has not even come close to meeting its goal of reducing illegal drug use by 25 percent by 2007 in any age group. In fact, among adults, overall illegal drug use actually increased 4.7% from 2002 to 2007. Teen marijuana use is down a bit but still remains common: One in nine (12 percent) 14- and 15-year-olds and one in four (23.7 percent) 16- and 17-year-olds used marijuana in 2007.
Nothing spells success like ~25% of teenagers having admitted to pot use! Or how about getting contradicted by your own government’s studies? Ouch.
The best part is the amount of taxpayer dollars this agency has wasted since drug czar John Walters’ ascension to the position. Here’s what the ONDCP has commissioned since the start of his reign:
- 127 anti-marijuana TV, radio and print ads
- 34 marijuana-focused press releases
- 50 studies from the ONDCP (and other govt. agencies) for anti-marijuana campaigns
All in all, this is another lesson in the manipulation of statistics. Just like the issue on marijuana busts and street pricing, the government is taking faulty data and using it to improperly shore up their anti-drug arguments.
Fight back by learning the facts.
[image via WWNYTV.net]
