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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Friendly advice replaces 'just say no' drug message John Carvel The Guardian Saturday 24 May 2003 A £3m advertising campaign that jokes about heroin and acknowledges the pleasurable effects of ecstasy was launched yesterday, in a bid to make the government's battle against illegal drugs more credible among young people. Ministers from the Home Office, health and education departments said they wanted to encourage children, parents and carers to make use of a confidential national helpline giving honest information. Instead of the "say no to drugs" message in previous campaigns, the helpline and its sister website would provide factual information, including the specific dangers of mixing substances. The service is to be known as Talk to Frank, and the campaign promoting it will be built around an unseen friend who is always ready to provide discreet and well-informed advice, information, and support. One of the adverts, to be screened on primetime television, shows a busy high street where adults of all ages are hugging each other, lamp-posts, and everything else they can lay their hands on. A voiceover warns: "If this was the only effect of ecstasy, we would all be doing it. Find out why we're not. Talk to Frank" Another TV advert portrays a mother trying to broach the subject of drugs with her teenage son, prompting him to call in a police hit squad to arrest her. The voiceover says: "Drugs are illegal, talking about them isn't." A follow-up sequence of radio ads includes a shop assistant muddling his words, inserting the names and most common nicknames of illegal drugs during an otherwise harmless exchange with a customer. This comedy routine is probably the first time the government has tried to get a laugh out of heroin and other class A drugs. Bob Ainsworth, the Home Office minister, said: "This is the first time the government has tried to reach out to parents and carers as well as children to give them honest, credible, accessible information about drugs ... Previously young people got information from their mates, and often their mates were wrong." Hazel Blears, the public health minister, said: "The days when we could simply tell peo ple how to live their lives are long gone. That kind of campaign simply doesn't work." She rejected suggestions that young people would remember the positive image of ecstasy in the hugging advertisement, and forget the message about the drug's dangers. "The aim is to communicate with people's real experience and what is going on in their lives. In many cases people do take drugs because it is a pleasurable thing to do. This points out there are other impacts." Ivan Lewis, the education minister, said: "This hasn't been dreamt up in Whitehall behind closed doors. There has been a lot of testing with people who work on a daily basis with drug users." Although the ministers said the campaign put the emphasis on honesty, Ms Blears and Mr Lewis would not say whether they had been offered or used illegal drugs. Mr Ainsworth said he was offered drugs, but "sadly" it was a long time ago and he did not know what they were. The only drug he took was nicotine. Annette Gale, of the Bury and Rochdale substance misuse service, said that it was often thought children knew all about drugs and parents knew nothing. The Frank initiative would put them on a level playing field. The campaign was welcomed by leaders of drugs charities including Lord Adebowale of Turning Point and Vivienne Evans of Adfam. But Lesley King-Lewis, chief executive of Action on Addiction said the campaign should have focused more on the dangers of powder cocaine and cannabis. Jacqui McCluskey, policy officer for the children's charity NCH, said: "There is a fine balance between using humour and making fun of people, which would not be constructive in the long run. I hope this campaign is not seen by young people as the latter." The Frank helpline is on 0800 776600 and the website at www.talktofrank.com
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