5 Drug PSAs That Tried to Scare the Sh*t out of Us (But Didn't)

Preachy, hyperbolic, often incorrect

1x 1.1x 1.25x 1.5x 2x 3x

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5 Drug PSAs That Tried to Scare the Sh*t out of Us (But Didn't)

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If you grew up watching TV in the '80s and '90s you were unlucky enough to be bombarded with preachy, hyperbolic, and often incorrect drug public service announcements (PSAs) during the commercial breaks of your favorite shows. Join us as we count down five of the most eye-roll worthy drug PSAs that tried to scare the sh*t out of us, but really didn't.

Approximately 3:20.

Written and produced by Paul Detrick

Go to http://www.reason.com/reasontv for downloadable versions. Subscribe to Reason TV's YouTube channel to get automatic notifications when new material goes live.

Comments

[Libertarian Joe]

Yeah, but drugs are bad, mmkay

[Francisco d'Anconia]

LAZY INTERN ALERT!

But I'll cut em some slack this time cuz they asked folks to post their own vids in the comments.

You get a pass....

...ONCE!

[Ska]

Dude, it's take two and pass.

[fentonmyranda]

I make up to $90 an hour working from my home. My story is that I quit working at Walmart to work online and with a little effort I easily bring in around $40h to $86h? Someone was good to me by sharing this link with me, so now i am hoping i could help someone else out there by sharing this link... Try it, you won't regret it!......
http://www.worktoday7.com

[sarcasmic]

"I learned it by watching you!"

/didn't watch the video

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Can't watch the video but does it include my favorite PSA of all time, the one with Paul Reubens, in character as Pee-Wee, talking about crack?

I believe he was forced to do that one after his arrest in Florida.

[Andrew S.]

It was #1 on the list.

[Suellington]

That was number 1. Ha! I hadn't ever seen or heard about that one.

[Kaptious Kristen]

Nicotine is a drug.

[wareagle]

so is alcohol. And with either, the state is heavily involved in either running it or profiting from it.

[Hamster of Doom]

Alcohol is a solution.

/chemistry

[Lady Dalrymple]

ISIS agrees.

[Andrew S.]

What about the "Drugs cause terrorism" PSAs of the late '00s?

[DoubleC]

That debuted on the February 2002 Super Bowl so they could strike while the Never Forget iron was hot. And those PSAs were probably the biggest backlash any PSA ever got, fortunately.

[Andrew S.]

Here was the top 5, for those who couldn't watch.

#5: "This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?"
#4: A rather trippy 1960s anti-marijuana cartoon ad from the American Medical Association. About a 99.9% likelihood whoever made it was on LSD at the time.
#3: "I learned it by watching you!"
#2: Mr. T chokes a cameraman
#1: Pee Wee talks about crack

[Cdr Lytton]

Is #5 the version with Rachel Leigh Cook?

[Andrew S.]

All 3 versions. Original, dad version, Rachel Leigh Cook version.

[Cdr Lytton]

In my younger days, I would totally do drugs if there was a good chance Rachel Leigh Cook would show up in my kitchen half dressed, ready to make breakfast.

[Fist of Etiquette]

H.R. Pufnstuf put a young me off the idea of drug use more than any PSA could.

[Crusty Juggler]

I just read Agile Cyborg.

[AlmightyJB]

This is your brain. This is your brain when it's fucking awesome!

[Rich]

This is not particularly "scary", but is pretty ridiculous.

(Props to Andrew S.)

[geo1113]

It's twue...it's twue!

[Curtisls87]

Hello, boys!

[C. S. P. Schofield]

My favorite is a radio spot I used to hear, driving to work. Signs Your Teen May Be On Drugs! And they were ; changing friends, grinding teeth, flushed face, mood swimgs .... (Etc. etc.). and I wondered, "Are these idiots even aware that they are describing adolescence?"

[Calvin Coolidge]

I remember those, and had the same reaction. "Does your teen spend more time hanging out with their friends, and less time with the family? Do they get defensive when you ask them what they do together?"

Why, it's almost as if they were just looking to spread general paranoia about drug use!!

[zibutupaba]

Google pay 97$ per hour my last pay check was $8500 working 1o hours a week online. My younger brother friend has been averaging 12k for months now and he works about 22 hours a week. I cant believe how easy it was once I tried it out.
This is wha- I do...... ?????? http://www.www.jobnet20.com

[adolphowisner]

She is not a moderate. She is an amoral crap weasel that will say and do anything to continue to suckle on the body public. then check all report news this way.... http://moourl.com/gjftp

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Time to debug this bot's program.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

He's paying more attention to Hillary than Bill did.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Do you EVER complete a thought with one post?

[Notorious G.K.C.]

kiss

[Notorious G.K.C.]

my

[Notorious G.K.C.]

ass

[AlmightyJB]

I didn't see that last one coming. Yes, I know I'm replying to two week old posts.

[Acosmist]

Oh shut the fuck up.

[Vampire]

Hey fool, you better treat your master right!

[Slumper]

There's one 80s drug PSA that I can't seem to find anywhere.

It featured a strung-out kid sitting up on his bed, recounting how he steals and lies to his teachers and parents and how stupid they all for believing him, then at the end he breaks down and sobs "I wish they weren't so stupid!"

Anyone else remember that?

[Calvin Coolidge]

Ah, yes, I remember that one, the one giving the time-honored advice that your kid may be upset when you tell them what to do, but will appreciate the structure nonetheless. Almost anything can be repurposed as anti-drug agitprop, it seems.

[Slumper]

McGruff rocking out an anti-drug jingle with Regina, who barely ranks as a 80's One Hit Wonder:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR8mso4eMh0

"User are losers, and losers are users, so don't do drugs...."

[geo1113]

Channeling their inner Scandal.

[Slumper]

Legit celebrities like McEnroe must have some buyer's remorse over getting hitched to flash-in-the-panners like Patti Smyth. Like, for 5 minutes they think they landed an A-lister, then a few years down the road they wake up and think "This person would be the assistant manager of Kinko's right now if I didn't marry them."

[Notorious G.K.C.]

I thought Kinko's was FedEx now.

[C. Anacreon]

Heh. Regina, her name rhymes with vagina. (On Seinfeld, anyway)

[Bobarian (sexbot hand model)]

Mulva?

[Calvin Coolidge]

One that was at least moderaely effective was the one where the kid sits on the couch and recounts all the lies that people told him about how dangerous pot is. He concludes that, despite the warnings, "nothing happened". Then we hear his parent yellng from the next room: "Did you even LOOK for a job today!?". The tag line was about how smoking pot can mean that nothing happens.

Over the top, but at least in the ballpark of a legitimate reason not to smoke.

[Hicks]

I was getting a MS in computer science while smoking daily when this played, so I didn't find it a very persuasive argument against smoking weed.

[Hamster of Doom]

A pothead set this theme to a catchy tune and made a few bucks. And I know why.

[amelia]

That's one of my all time faves. I believe the tag line was "Marijuana. It can make you do nothing too." It was in the ballpark, but that only made it more hilarious to me.

[DoubleC]

All of the Obama era ones are just boring. Just kids stealing pills from their grandparents and reminding parents to hide their opiate painkillers.

Now Bush Sr., that was where the crazy was at: the crack dealer snake, the 7 year old being roughed up in the middle of the night for crack money, the mother having a nervous breakdown because her kid died from crack, the woman forced into prostitution by her crack dealer. Clinton only matched those in his crime control PSAs with the dead kids.

[Stephdumas]

Here in the Great White North, here some anti-drugs PSA from the late 1980s-early 1990s era
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mrhuaj540Aw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y9j3ZRR8Pw

[Stephdumas]

And this one using the Hollies' song "He ain't heavy, he's my brother" aired during almost all the 1990s. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZS8_oN60so The best PSA who aired in Canada.

[SteveC]

When I saw "PSA", my first thought was "production sharing agreement".

[Stephdumas]

In the UK, instead of PSA, they use the term "PIF" for "Public information film" like this Green cross code for pedestrian safety aka "Splink" featuring the 3rd Doctor from Dr. Who, Jon Pertwee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AzoG3EMtx4
And here a fan list of the top 50 "PIF" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j4NStSMCLs

[JParker]

I remember the PSA that had a "high" surgeon shown from below, with a voice-over asking if one would like such a surgeon to operate on them. My immediate thought was of Dr. William Halsted, one of the founding fathers of modern surgery and the first Chief Surgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He was also a man who was a life long user of morphine, cocaine, and probably every other psychoactive drug he was aware of.

That made it clear that the obvious answer was "yes!"

[macsnafu]

This could easily be repurposed as an article on Cracked.com, and would probably get a lot more views.

[james30239]

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[Libertarian]

I thought that girl swinging the frying pan was sooooo hot, it's a miracle I didn't start doing heroin immediately.

[Agammamon]

So, I need some legal help and I'm turning to the lawyers here either for that help or help finding a lawyer who can.

I don't want to go into details in public but I need someone who knows federal criminal law, specifically Title 18 USC sec 875 and who is willing to work pro bono or cut me a break on the fees.

If you're interested, shoot me an email and I'll give you the details.

[tarran]

Wow, that's some heavy shit....

Which state would you like this lawyer to work from?

[Agammamon]

Its still early - I live in AZ, but the case seems to be handled from NY.

So, I don't know.

[Andrew S.]

Shoot me an email wildcatlh (at) gmail.com. I'll reach out to our New York group and see if anyone knows anyone.

[Agammamon]

Thanks, sent.

[Smilin' Joe Wood Chipper]

Wow, a lot has happened since this first message.

Still ready to donate if things do indeed go that way, Agammamon.

[Vincent Milburn]

"I'm not a chicken, you're a turkey!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_GgUNF5sTA

[SIV]

Why do you think they call it dope?

[SIV]

"Brain damage is what we we were after, chromosome damage was just gravy"

[SIV]

Willie Mays warns children about Blasting Caps

[Notorious G.K.C.]

That ad presupposes that the kids are outside, unsupervised.

Is Willie Mays trying to *encourage* parental neglect?

/sarc

[Agammamon]

Ah, for the good old days. When construction routinely involved explosives (why?) and kids were blowing so many fingers off it was a national epidemic.

[Francisco d'Anconia]

We had special training in the second grade on how to identify blasting caps. They actually had a police officer come in and give a talk.

Hell yeah, we were losing a couple fingers a day in just my class alone. The horror!

[Poppa Kilo]

I myself can only count to eight...

[Bo Cara Esq.]

Death row inmate that Scalia mentioned decades ago to mock death penalty opponents pardoned

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the.....years.html

[adolphowisner]

Start working at home with Google! It's by-far the best job I've had. Last Wednesday I got a brand new BMW since getting a check for $6474 this - 4 weeks past. I began this 8-months ago and immediately was bringing home at least $77 per hour. I work through this link,
go to tech tab for work detail ????????????? http://www.workweb40.com

[Bo Cara Esq.]

Second on Scalia Saturday: Scalia's Creationist nod at graduation ceremony

"Justice Antonin Scalia spoke on Thursday at his granddaughter's graduation from a Catholic high school in Bethesda, Maryland. During the speech, however, the sitting Supreme Court justice offered a subtle nod to young earth creationism, the belief that that the earth was created by God and is only several thousand years-old.

"Class of 2015, you should not leave Stone Ridge High School thinking that you face challenges that are at all, in any important sense, unprecedented," Scalia said, adding that "Humanity has been around for at least some 5,000 years or so, and I doubt that the basic challenges as confronted are any worse now, or alas even much different, from what they ever were."

http://thinkprogress.org/justi.....gh-school/

[Notorious G.K.C.]

I must have missed the part where he said the *earth* was 5,000 years old.

Anyway, you missed the real scandal about that graduation:

"Scalia's speech came in morning ceremonies that included...a Taylor Swift song ? "Long Live" ? performed by the class."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....story.html

[Daily Beatings]

Scalia was taking about recorded human history, which is approximately 5,000 years old. ThinkProgress again sinks lower and lower into the bowels of derp.

[lap83]

There's a good Rifftrax of an exceptionally crappy anti-drug short from 1969
http://www.hulu.com/watch/345462
It's longer than a psa, but it's a funny one

[Heroic Mulatto]

Of course reason neglected to mention this PSA, because libertarians are the race-iest, racists to ever race.

Or so I've been told.

[amelia]

Hanna-Barbera makes it look intriguing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJTC_sX5cxs

[Bodica Slayer of Drones]

Today, we have the smoking causes colon cancer PSA, as the woman adjusts her colostomy bag.

For the gross out factor, government has learned from 20 years ago.

[Chipper Gore (Suthenboy)]

I like the one where the guy claims to have lost his teeth from smoking.

Bullshit. He lost his teeth because he didn't fuckin' brush. Nicotine is a poison. It kills bugs. That actually helps keep your teeth healthy.

[mvq28753]

Nathaniel . although Stephanie `s rep0rt is super... I just bought a top of the range Mercedes sincee geting a check for $4416 this last four weeks and would you believe, ten/k last-month . no-doubt about it, this really is the best-job I've ever done . I actually started seven months/ago and almost straight away started making a nice over $79.. p/h..... ?????? http://www.worksite90.com

[Michael Price]

Actually Pee-Wee is a great drug spokesman if used right. "Kids if you take drugs, you'll end up like this.".

[rirofusota]

Google pay 97$ per hour my last pay check was $8500 working 1o hours a week online. My younger brother friend has been averaging 12k for months now and he works about 22 hours a week. I cant believe how easy it was once I tried it out.
This is wha- I do...... ?????? http://www.www.netcash5.com

[rirofusota]

Google pay 97$ per hour my last pay check was $8500 working 1o hours a week online. My younger brother friend has been averaging 12k for months now and he works about 22 hours a week. I cant believe how easy it was once I tried it out.
This is wha- I do...... ?????? http://www.netcash5.com

[sdiana13]

Google pay 97$ per hour my last pay check was $8500 working 1o hours a week online. My younger brother friend has been averaging 12k for months now and he works about 22 hours a week. I cant believe how easy it was once I tried it out.
This is wha- I do...... ?????? http://www.wage-report.com

[MSimon]

This is your eggs on drugs. Alcohol? FAS? OK.

[reneerenee150]

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[fentonmyranda]

I make up to $90 an hour working from my home. My story is that I quit working at Walmart to work online and with a little effort I easily bring in around $40h to $86h? Someone was good to me by sharing this link with me, so now i am hoping i could help someone else out there by sharing this link... Try it, you won't regret it!......
http://www.worktoday7.com

[hibuyeric]

Google pay 97$ per hour my last pay check was $8500 working 1o hours a week online. My younger brother friend has been averaging 12k for months now and he works about 22 hours a week. I cant believe how easy it was once I tried it out.
This is wha- I do...... ?????? http://www.netcash5.com

[beatricebeatrice]

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[jeannine]

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[Rich]

This is Anonbot. This is Anonbot on meth. Any questions?

[AlmightyJB]

HA

[Number 2]

I surprised that there was no mention of the "get high, get stupid, get AIDS" commercials of the late 80s

[The Wood Chipper 5000]

According to that asshat Rove, here how we eliminate gun violence like we saw earlier this week in SC:

"I mean basically the only way to guarantee that we will dramatically reduce acts of violence involving guns is to basically remove guns from society,..."

http://dailycaller.com/2015/06.....z3djwqk5qo

[Rich]

I can't tell what his attitude really is.

There's a big difference between "We must do everything possible to eliminate guns" and "Eliminating guns might reduce violence, but it ain't gonna happen".

[The Wood Chipper 5000]

I see what you mean, because Rove does seem to be trying to straddle both sides with the quote you provide, but when he clearly says that reduction in gun violence is guaranteed by removing guns from society, which he did say, he basically confirms what leftists have been claiming all along, no matter how squishy he is on this point elsewhere in the article.

His fall back is "but that [removing guns from society] ain't gonna happen." The problem here is that Leftists are persistent in pushing their agenda. If you cede their premise, you lose the argument and we move that much closer to losing more of our liberties with regard to gun ownership and usage. Rove is a disaster.

[The Wood Chipper 5000]

I see what you mean, because Rove does seem to be trying to straddle both sides with the quote you provide, but when he clearly says that reduction in gun violence is guaranteed by removing guns from society, which he did say, he basically confirms what leftists have been claiming all along, no matter how squishy he is on this point elsewhere in the article.

His fall back is "but that [removing guns from society] ain't gonna happen." The problem here is that Leftists are persistent in pushing their agenda. If you cede their premise, you lose the argument and we move that much closer to losing more of our liberties with regard to gun ownership and usage. Rove is a disaster.

[The Wood Chipper 5000]

Apparently the Reason squirrels feel pretty strongly about what I said since they posted it twice.

[Chipper Gore (Suthenboy)]

I smoke. Every now and then some self-righteous idiot tries to tell me that smoking is bad for me. I act incredulous and say:

"Really?! Why hasn't anyone ever told me that before? Really! I didn't know. Thank you. Thank you so much for telling me that." *lights another cigarette*

I have done it enough times now that I have gotten pretty good at it. About half-way through they get embarrassed and shut up.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

I bet they went home and said, "do you believe that *asshole*?"

(note: I was telling this joke on them, not you)

[Poppa Kilo]

"Asshole" is a very harsh reference.

'Anal-American' is now the preferred term.

[Irish Says Enough Woodchippers]

OT: So I was dicking around on Youtube and this name/comment combination made me laugh way harder than it probably should have:

"Joseph Stalin 2 weeks ago
People that are saying Hip-Hop's dead, since October we've had albums from Logic, Big KRIT, Shady Records, Wu-Tang, J Cole, Lupe Fiasco, Joey Bada$$, Big Sean, Kendrick, Yelawolf, Tech N9ne, A$AP Rocky, Dizzy Wright. Still got albums from Nas, Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip, Ice Cube, Kanye West and Pusha T still to come this year"

Stalin is a big hip hope fan.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

He especially likes that Korean guy, Run DMZ.

[AlmightyJB]

gangum style

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Now we know what happens to the dogs cops shoot:

Trigger warning: Don't read this article if you own dogs or have a delicate stomach.

http://sinosphere.blogs.nytime.....times&_r=0

[straffinrun]

Dog meat. I just can't go there. A few years ago a German guy and a French lady were sitting next to me at a sushi bar. I overheard them bitching about the whale meat being on the menu. The cook didn't understand what they were saying so I told him, in Japanese, I wanted to buy those two some whale sushi. My treat. He served them up and indicated to the tourists that it was from me. They had no idea what whale sushi actually looked like, so they just ate it. They said thanks as I walked past them to leave. "Whale", I said as I walked out the door.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

...and the German guy said, "hey, I may haff a few extra kilograms, but...HEY!"

[straffinrun]

Self righteous pricks. The Americans I've met here actually try to fit in. They're clumsy and lack awareness, but aren't malicious. Western Europeans can be massive assholes that lecture the Japanese on every custom that offends their fragile sensibilities.

[Vampire]

That's like someone bitching about peanuts, only to have an asshole like you put peanuts in their food resulting in a severe allergic reaction or death.

[straffinrun]

It's the same as murder? Go on

[lap83]

Years ago my husband worked the front desk at a hotel which often hosted dog shows. After one show, a digital camera that belonged to a couple from China was left and turned in at the desk. Then after numerous unsuccessful attempts to find out if they wanted it returned, he took it home. The first half of the photos saved on the phone were pictures of dogs, the second half were pictures of dog sized meat carcasses.