Shock tactics miss the mark.

Drugs ads 'will disturb parents'

Lisa Power, Daily Telegraph 26 March 2001

Shock anti-drug commercials will disturb parents more than teenagers, drug experts predicted yesterday.

The bleak ads show teen drug users dying, stealing and prostituting themselves to feed their addiction.

But the chilling commercials will not stop teenagers trying drugs, Paul Dillon, of the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, said.

Normally I would say shock commercials don't work - teenagers think they are indestructible anyway - but this is an education campaign.

"They are designed to stimulate discussion about the dangers.

"Parents will be shocked but kids might think they are stupid because [death and prostitution] are not the experiences they associate with drugs."

Mr Dillon said the ads - launched as part of the Federal Government's latest $27 million anti-drugs campaign - offered parents an opportunity to discuss drug use with their children.

The commercials will be re-inforced by a parental education booklet detailing the street names of drugs and symptoms exhibited by users.

The consequences of each drug  - such as paranoia, suicide, impaired memory and flashbacks - are also listed.

Yesterday Prime Minister John Howard said parents had to be recruited to the front line of the drug battle.

Parental guidance had "the greatest impact on children than anything else".

"The parents of Australia are our greatest resource in fighting the drug problem," he said.

"[Parents] are the greatest education resource the country has."

Fairfield Councillor Thang Ngo, who has waged a campaign against Cabramatta's drug epidemic, said parents needed to understand what type of drugs were available to children.

"The parents want to do something but at the moment they have no credibility," Mr Ngo said.

"They may have heard about ecstasy but don't actually know what it is or what it looks like.

"This will help parents talk [to their children] with authority."

Research shows that more than 70 percent of young people believe their parents could influence them not to use drugs.

Illicit drug use has increase since 1995 - with 22 per cent of teenagers over the age of 14 admitting to trying drugs, a National Drugs Strategy survey has found.

Cannabis, amphetamines, ecstasy and hallucinogens were the most popular illegal drugs.

Salvation Army Major Brian Watters said the ads "would make people sit up and take notice".