New anti-meth campaign described as "health terrorism"
Quote:
A new anti-crystal meth campaign featuring the warped mugshots of alleged repeat users is scary, but is it effective at discouraging drug abuse? Not really, say researchers.
The "Horrors of Methamphetamines," launched by Rehabs.com, claims to show the physical self-destruction that the drug is capable of.
The faces of youthful, virile men and women booked on meth-related charges rapidly mutate as the same individuals are arrested again and again. They transform into haggard, gaunt and unkempt visages just a few years after the apparent downward spiral began.
Acne litters what was once unblemished skin, rosy cheeks hollow out and tangled clumps of hair replace neat 'dos. The online poster warns that these are telltale signs of decay unleashed by prolonged, illegal crystal meth use.
"I think it's definitely more effective when people can see the outcome of what abusing that substance might be, it becomes more concrete in a person's mind," said Dan Tynski, Rehabs.com's project manager. "We're going to be putting out lots of material that creates awareness about drug abuse."
Dr. Dolores Cimini, a psychologist specializing in substance abuse counseling at the State University of New York at Albany, described the scare tactics as "health terrorism" which are not effective at altering behaviors.
"Adolescents are egocentric and they say it's not going to happen to me," Cimini said to HufPost. "Ads such as this when presented alone do not have research evidence behind them that they work to change the behavior of meth users."
From my personal experience I know they're right - this kind of advertising doesn't work as much as they want it to. Most of us believe in our own invincibility.
I'm not certain if I'm right, but to expose people like that and I'm not only speaking of meth addicts is like to take away their last dignity.
This is something the Nazis had done.
Some of them exposed people did terrible things, but the state must be neutral, it's like the state take away their humanity. The showed us they are as worth as insects.
If i want to insult someone in german in extrem I compare him to animals or insects. They are no more humans. I think that's what the state here does. This is what the nazi state did 80 years ago.
