(CNN)“This is your brain on drugs,” a man says, holding up a frying pan with a sizzling egg, in the famous 1980s anti-drug public service announcement.
Three decades later, Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, formerly the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, is bringing back the classic advertisement. This time, it comes with something more than just a fried egg.
The last line of the 1980s ad — “Any questions?” — is the beginning of the new “Fried Egg 2016” PSA. It’s followed by children asking a series of poignant questions about prescription drugs, heroin, marijuana and their parents’ drug histories. The ad ends with the voice of actress Allison Janney directing parents to the partnership’s website to prepare themselves with answers.
The old and the new
Unlike the straightforward 1980s ad and the 1990s version, in which actress Rachael Leigh Cook smashes an egg (and a kitchen) with a pan while talking about the adverse effects of heroin, the latest anti-drug PSA is aimed at adults.
“We have evolved to meet the need of parents today. They were teens back then, and now they are parents,” said Kristi Rowe, the chief marketing officer of Partnership for Drug-Free Kids.
As children learn about drugs from a variety of sources, she said, parents are going to be faced with the need to have open conversations with their kids and combat some of the messages they’re getting elsewhere.
“We want them to know that we have resources to help them,” Rowe said.
“If you look at the 1987 ad, it’s slow,” said Stephenson. “If you look at today’s ad, you’ll see how quickly the ad moves from one cut to another. … They are taking advantage of the research done on the effects of messages on audience.”
Marsha Rosenbaum, founder of Safety First at the Drug Policy Alliance, which provides anti-drug resources for parents, finds the tone of the new PSA calm and reasonable. She said that framing the ad as a conversation is an improvement from 30 years ago but that there is a lot more for parents to learn and think about beyond the information provided on the website.
“I would caution parents to dig in there. … Look at various information and websites,” she said. “Make sure that … what you’re telling your kids are actually true, based on solid science.”
Of course, Rosenbaum said, the best message is “don’t do it,” but in reality, some children might have already started doing drugs. In that case, she suggests that parents learn about the harm-reduction approach and talk to their kids about how to stay safe and increase safety when using drugs.
Telling kids not to do drugs is not a one-stop shop to prevent drug use, Rosenbaum said. Parents also need to be supportive and understand their children. It is important that children have the appropriate resources and an engaged and balanced life, she said, such as participating in extracurricular activities.
Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/30/health/new-brain-on-drugs-fried-egg-psa/index.html
