
South Dakota's Anti-Meth Marketing Slogan Is Going Viral - pseudolus
https://reason.com/2019/11/18/south-dakotas-anti-meth-marketing-slogan-is-going-viral/
======
scrumper
I think it's rather good. It's a direct acknowledgement that the state has a
problem, as well as a catchy and amusing way to say that they're trying to
address it.

Internet scorn is maybe getting a little boring...?

~~~
sharkmerry
Its provocative but is it a good use of funds?

they spent 465k already, can spend up to 1.4 Million just on an advertising
campaign. Those funds could be used to actually help users.

from the governor's own tweet. "3,366 people were arrested last year because
of meth in SD. 13 people died."

they spent 35k per overdose death for awareness. Surely the funds couldve been
better put to use

~~~
scrumper
Counter is that it reduces the population of users. Simply diverting funds
entirely to helping users would seem to invite perpetual spend.

~~~
sharkmerry
Does it reduce the population of users? People are I know who were meth users
were aware of the dangers...

~~~
scrumper
Actually yeah that's a fair point. Thinking back on my comment, I'm not sure
that what I said stands up.

I'm not even sure how one would go about measuring it, given all the other
initiatives happening concurrently with this ad campaign.

Intuitively, something a bit attention-grabbing like this could reach more
people than some stodgy "drugs bad mmmkay" thing, and I don't think it's wrong
to spend a small percentage of a large harm-reduction budget on an awareness
campaign. But that's about all I'd be confident saying.

------
BubRoss
The slogan is "Meth. We're on it" in case you don't.want to be baited I to
clicking.

------
closetohome
Catchy, honest, funny, and viral. I'd say they got their money's worth.

~~~
Apocryphon
> this campaign is a refresh of the state's "Meth Changes Everything"
> marketing strategy

That's just as unintentionally funny to the point of living parody. Was the
tourism board involved

------
stuntkite
The stigma around what an addict looks like is something that needs to be
shattered. I really like the ad. Scare tactics are stupid and hurtful. They
destroy the debate and vilify people that need care. People take drugs for
reasons. People use meth to get some pep to hang drywall to feed their kids or
study for college to get a better life. Sometimes that spirals way out of
control but also sometimes people are lifetime addicts with deep private
problems and nearly no one knows what they are struggling with. It's never
popular to say, but there are people out there that use hard drugs and do not
have regrettable experiences and maintain a happy life with them. We will
never have a count of them because it's not like they can self report easily.
All of our statistics are from people who have medical or legal complications.

Many years ago I was a low voltage / home theater technician. One of my
favorite customers was a 70 year old retired gentleman who didn't seem to be
aware that he was an obvious junkie. He had been on large amounts of oxycontin
after a back surgery years before. I grew up around heroin junkies and it was
plain as day to me. Him and his wife were the nicest people and would
frequently ask me to stay for dinner. He would sometimes get the nods at the
table and have to retreat to the sofa. He had a huge "junkie sweet tooth" and
liked to create sweet snacks while stoned. He would come in glassy-eyed while
I would be wedged under a desk running wires and offer me red vines and talk
about his snack ideas and show me pictures of his grandkids. One of the best
was ritz cracker peanut butter sandwiches dipped in chocolate and frozen.
Highly recommend. You could tell that they were kind people who had never
lived a life where drug usage was normal. He loved college football and was
sort of an archivist of the history of different stadiums. They had adult
children that were happy and productive. I would bet money neither he or his
wife had ever smoked weed or even had more than a handful of regrettable
hangovers. I felt so sad knowing what they are going through every day and the
inevitable results of his addiction.

A lot of times intense drug usage follows traumatic events in people's lives
and resolves itself nearly silently in about 5 years[0]. We all have most
likely have a few people in our lives struggling silently because of stigma.
Living a dual life because of the sort or rhetoric put out by DARE or Faces of
Meth. Suffering silently increases anxiety and amplifies dependance. "Meth.
We're on it." is a much needed take on how to tackle the issue in public
discourse.

Drug dependance is not a moral failing. It can happen to you. Addicts need
love and understanding and it's our duty as fellow humans to provide it.

[0] [https://www.recoveryanswers.org/research-
post/1-in-10-americ...](https://www.recoveryanswers.org/research-
post/1-in-10-americans-report-having-resolved-a-significant-substance-use-
problem/)

