New TV Ad: Drugs Cause HIV?

[KellyTaylor]

Well I just ran into this.. I think it makes a valid point but at the same time I think it maybe a bit over board?!? What do you think?? My Immediate reaction was to laugh cause of what the end of this article said ... But then I really thought about it! Tell me what you think and then I will put in my 2 cents!!



December 8, 2005—A national campaign of public service announcements hits so hard with its warning against risky behavior that it seems to say recreational drugs in general, not just injectables such as heroin, can cause HIV. One of the TV ads, sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, shows one girl telling another: “She got high; she got stupid—and now she has HIV."

[jIgG]

sure
drugs/alcohol impair judgement
therefore they make people do stupid things

[Jasun]

drugs to not "cause' HIV anymore than butt fucking does.

HIV is a virus, and HIV sickness or AIDS is caused by HIV.

drugs can yes.. lead to imparred judgement, but I'll tell you that even at the depths of my drug addiction and alcoholism when i was 23... I had lots of sex with lots of partners and i never ONCE had unsafe sex.

sure, drugs can impare judgement, but one still has to take responsibility for one's own actions. Blaming drugs for your mistakes is a preety weak way out...

[desslock]

The HIV issue is becoming politicized? Really?

Steve

[Matt 26z]

The anti-drug groups have to try new things all the time. The shock value of the ads eventually wear off. Back in the day, images of an egg in a frying pan was good enough. Today it's the brunt of jokes.

I'm not so sure any of the drugs, DUI or smoking ads even do any good. So the more shocking the better.

Those Truth commercials with the smoking company boardrooms, those are a joke. They are funny and promote cigarette usage. The cigarette companies actually fund the Truth commercials too.

[KellyTaylor]

Well I just think it is really stupid that they are blamming drugs for peoples own actions.. Im not a drug user .. I have had my problems with things in the past but Im totally over it now and realized it was VERY IMMATURE AND STUPID TO RUIN MYSELF!..... But I really believe that stuff like this isnt sending the right message to kids even if it does scare them! It will cause another reaction that maybe worse... I also believe that stuff like this cannot be solved this way and it is really aweful that the people who come up with these commercials .... Can market stuff like this!!

[Paco]

Yah, I got drunk, voted Liberal and it's my fault they stole ... just look at what I've done to Canada.
(Joke, I'd never vote Lib.)


While they're at it they may as well add:
eating food causes obesity.
work/employment causes heart attacks and strokes.
money causes theft/robbery.
alcohol is the leading cause of vehicular person slaughter.
mean people are the leading cause of rage.
good looking people are the leading cause of extra marital affairs and divorce.

[Kicker]

I wonder that it's something new to u... It's a big problem everywhere and personally I think we should fight with it using all possible means.

[Paco]

Roman Catholicism = banned condom use = HIV

Guess that makes Catholics bad!

Hey, why do we not see anti-Catholicism ads?

[CorbinFisher_BD]

They're really digging deep for those anti-drug ads.

Now, there have been studies in to drug usage and HIV-infection rates. Especially with regards to meth and what not.

But I'd wager the effectiveness of an anti-drug ad that tried to push that connection on to people wouldn't go anywhere.

Who do they have coming up with these ads?! Are our tax dollars funding these things? I certainly hope not, because there's obviously some way overpaid ad execs sitting around in a room coming up with stupid ideas and charging lotsa money to do it.

Like the one with the kids in the drive thru, all high and smoking pot, and then speeding away from the drive thru window and running over a little girl on a bike.

I mean... really now. Who on earth would view that ad and think "OMG that could be me!"

If anything, these ads are having the opposite effect. It comes across like they're reaching so hard and stretching so far and so desperate to find things that are bad about drugs and reasons why people shouldn't use them... that there must not actually be any good reasons why people shouldn't use them. That they're going so overboard and coming from so far out in left field with these things that there must not be any actual, identifiable reason why people shouldn't get high.

[Paco]

That they're going so overboard and coming from so far out in left field with these things that there must not be any actual, identifiable reason why people shouldn't get high.

Precisely - they are unable to come-up with a valid argument against 'drug use', which will not be detrimental to those drugs which they so easily embrace, such as pharmaceuticals, so they try and scare the living BAH-Jesus out of you.
Me, I laugh while wrappin a frap!

When was the last time you seen a "this is your liver, and this is your liver on alcohol, Tylenol, Aspirin/ASA, codeine, vitamin I (ibuprofen)..." ? Oh, and how about them lovely weight loss pills? Can you say SPEED or METH? They are so damn close it is not even funny!

I'd love to see a commercial that goes a little something like this ....
This is your:
- brain, and this is your brain on politics
- community, and this is a community on religion
- child, and this is your child on a synthetic drug created by a student at a university that you are funding.
... any questions?

Oh wait, I have a few:
- who do you think is responsible for the creation of meth?
- do you think meth would be around if the others were legalized?

Bah, what do I know. After all I am merely an accomplished drug user!

[KellyTaylor]

As far as im concerned alot of kids... End up doing it anyways and It sometimes I think strikes more interest into kids when they see stuff like this! It is really un cool and I think comming from a positive uplifting place would be better! People Like 50 Cent need to use there fame and glory! ( WHICH I HAVE NO IDEA WHY ANYONE WOULD LISTEN TO HIS MUSIC! But that not the point ) Back to my point he should take his fame and instead of putting up huge billboards with guns in his and hand blood on the picture...across from a MIDDLE SCHOOL! mind you! ............ Use what he has and promote something better.. But on the other hand one could argue he got where he is from talking about the horrible shit he did and does which is sad if people think hurting the world and other people is cooll.....

K.Taylor