The Problem With Public Awareness.

Almost everyone, whether human or feline, has seen a public awareness campaign of some sort. Regardless of cause, there's usually some device, either humorous, morbid, stupid, or disgusting, aimed at educating the public about certain social issues. My purrsonal favorite is the Sterilize Your D*g campaign that ran not too long ago. Some others are the Bloody Idiot campaign against drinking and driving, and the Used by Idiots anti-drugs campaign. Whatever the slogan, whatever the cause, there's one sad, underlying truth in all this clever cant: Those for whom it is written will never get the point. It's the invincible factor; the percentage of people who are above reality. It will never happen to them.

Recently there's been a bit of a buzz (no pun intended) about the new anti-methamphetamine campaign in Montana, USA. I'd heard both good and bad, so in order to form my own opinion, I decided to watch the ads. I can say that as gritty as they may be, they don't seem convincing. I know that methamphetamine is an abominable drug, and that the adverts are touting truths. Nevertheless, I'm not fully convinced that television campaigns are capable of curtailing societal ills that begin at the peer level. If someone, especially a child, is associating with people who engage in such behavior, it isn't likely that a fabrication of potential consequences, regardless of how realistic, will stop them from participating.

So why doesn't it work? If adverts can shape public opinion on matters as minor as house paint or as major as politics, why don't they work in the social realm? The problem is pride. Advertising is usually most effective when it appeals to an aspect of nature, not when it condemns it. Major shoe-peddlers push their products by appealing to the vanity or ambition of their audience. Beverage-pushers, spirited or otherwise, typically appeal to the social image, status and vitality associated with youth and sexuality. These advertisements work because they reinforce what their targets want to believe about themselves. No one wants to believe that they are vulnerable; so turn it around, and it usually works in reverse.

A case in point is the unsuccessful anti-marijuana campaign that has been underway in the USA for decades. The majority of the advertisements have become something of a joke to those who've seen them. Many of them are sensationalized while others, though accurate, have lost their teeth due to the incredibility of their running mates. This has become an issue in America, as many believe the campaign is a counterproductive money pit. In fact, there is evidence to suggest that the campaign has actually fostered a "Robin Hood" image of marijuana: The misrepresented rogue who is persecuted for the sake of the big, bad government.

Personally, I disagree with the use of illicit drugs. Nevertheless, I refuse to accept that media advertisements are an effectual means of drugs prevention. If human governments really want to curb the drugs problem, they will first have to address the reasons why their citizens are so desperately seeking a release from reality.

Yours Purringly,
W.C. Humphries II (Mr. Fleez for short.)



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