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Government Anti drug message faltering

Don Barnard

Press Release

Tuesday 28 Oct 2003

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Press release - For immediate use



Government anti-drugs site "Talk to frank" faltering/failing?

How effective have the statutory authorities in your area/region been
getting the message out about FRANK (government anti-drugs site "Talk to
frank")!

Some 'Success Stories' are featured in the on the FRANK
campaign website. (To access this, log-on to the campaign section and go to
www.drugs.gov.uk/Campaign/Feedback/SuccessStories.)

FRANK CLAIMS: Media evaluation shows that the coverage on FRANK featured in
regional and local press. Has significantly contributed to the awareness of
FRANK among young people and parents.

BUT - The overall awareness of the campaign has dropped - Awareness is
running at 70% among young people (down 14% from May) and 52% among parents
(down 18% from May)!

SEE: http://www.drugs.gov.uk/News/Campaign/1066816329


Editor/researchers Contact for The FRANK campaign team: Tel: 020 7273 3833

Adam Medcalf of the "UK Cannabis Internet Activists" - adam@ukcia.org said:
"The awareness bit surprised me somewhat. "Maybe there's a blackout where I
live or I talk to the wrong people but amongst those of my peers who don't
have a particular interest in the drugs field awareness field is well below
84, 70, or indeed 52% percent."

NOTE: To encourage young people to "Talk to Frank": The UK Cannabis
Internet Activists http://www.ukcia.org The UKCIA have a linked to FRANK's
website from the UKCIA WebPages.

Peer critique:

UKCIA also examines the Cannabis information given in the government
anti-drugs site "Talk to frank" on their website they state:

"If we can't trust them to tell the truth about cannabis, why believe
anything they say."

"Frank claims to have finally dropped the "just say no" approach to drugs
and promises to give honest factual information. Does it? On the whole, yes.
Most of the information for a range of drugs Frank gives is pretty good.
Frank has quite a lot to say about cannabis though, and the information it
gives is compromised by the need to re-enforce the "cannabis is illegal"
message."

"When it first appeared, some of the information regarding cannabis was a
bit dodgy, if not actually totally wrong. There have been changes but the
general criticism remains. Frank still goes out of his way to avoid giving
harm reduction advice."

See UKCIA full comment/assessment:
http://www.ukcia.org/activism/govtondrugs.htm

**NOTE: A "debate on cannabis reclassification is taking place at
Westminster
tomorrow (28 October).

I can only hope you find this of sufficient import to follow up?

LCA comment on request

REPLY TO:
Don Barnard
donbarnard@lca-uk
07984 255015
http://www.lca-uk.org


 

 

 

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