By Isabel Chinan
The new ‘shock tactic’ drug driving advert has been released by the government today. It’s meant to scare those who think they can get away with drug driving by making them realise they can get caught out by ‘the look in their eyes.’ My conclusion, it’s a bit ‘creepy’ and doesn’t scare/shock me in the slightest.
The advert cost the government a hefty £2.3million and they’ re hoping it will have a sobering effect on those who think it’s not as bad to drug drive opposed to drink driving. However I feel that the individuals who take the risk of driving under the influence don’t think of the consequences when they’re acting on impulse.
Admittedly, trying to develop a campaign to discourage young people from drug and drink driving is extremely hard. Going on to YouTube and searching for the ‘Alcohol know your limits’ video shows the response from young people, there comments are: “I can’t wait to do that next weekend” or “Looks like a good night out to me!” Binge drinking was still costing the NHS £3billion a year after the alcohol campaign. So is there any hope for this new drug campaign if it’s using the same tactics?
Young people are already starting to criticise the new drug driving advert. One 19-year-old boy, who used to be an occasional drug user, told me about his thoughts on the advert he said: “The advert doesn’t shock people who think about drug driving, it needs to create a more realistic theme, if the advert showed what a drug driver was thinking in his head opposed to what was actually happening when he was driving it would allow people to see what could happen to them when they took drugs and drove.”
Maybe it’s time for the government to let teenagers take control over the adverts that are designed for them. It’s obvious, who better to create an advert to shock teenagers than teenagers themselves.