Altering Consciousness with Drugs
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Drug Ad
This clip is the late 1990s follow-up to the classic brain on drugsв campaign. The original campaign is expanded upon by Rachel Leigh Cook demolishing the kitchen with the frying pan. Her tirade continues the analogy of the effects drugs have on ones family, friends, money, and job. What do you think of the persuasiveness of these commercials? Why did…
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The Enemy Ecstasy: US Military Anti-Drug Training Video PSA
This video, produced by the United States Marine Corps and Naval Media Center, focuses on club drugs. Scenes from raves, effects the morning after, and some discussion of urine analysis are included. Discharge from the military, loss of benefits, and education are mentioned as penalties for use or distribution of banned drugs. Is this military-produced propaganda different from broadly circulated…
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Cocaine Energy Drink
This news piece from CNN features an interview with the creator of the energy drink Cocaine. While there is no cocaine in the drink, he says that it was so named because Cocaine is synonymous with energy. Thats the main reason for using the name. We thought it was the perfect name for an energy drink. Does this kind of…
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How Caffeine Works
In this clip from How Stuff Works, we get a short tutorial about how caffeine works to keep us from feeling sleepy. Caffeine inhibits the absorption of adenosine, leading to increased arousal. It starts to affect the body with doses as small as 50 milligrams, or about half a cup of coffee. What category of drugs does caffeine fall into?…
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What Happens Next: Smoking
This video from veriatv.com explains what happens to your body when you smoke a cigarette. It obviously is taking an anti-smoking stance, and moves on to explaining the positive effects on your health when you quit smoking. Considering all of the negative effects on the body, why do people smoke? What reasons are there besides the physical high?
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Heroin Addicts Speak
In this National Geographic clip, a cameraman follows around heroin addicts from Oslo and the American Midwest. Joaquim and Trina sell magazines in Oslo in order to score their next fix of Afgan heroin. Included is footage of Joaquim injecting his girlfriend. Faces of addiction from the American Midwest soon follow. Why is heroin called a dirty, back alley drug?…
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Montana Meth Project TV Ads
The following public service announcements were aired on television and online as part of the Montana Meth Project. Some will consider these scenes dramatic, visually disturbing, and/or violent. Which was the most effective and least effective ad? Do you believe campaigns employing scare tactics will be effective in preventing teen and adult drug use?
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Alcohol At SJU
This is a student-produced documentary on alcohol use at St. Josephs University, but themes are relevant regardless of institution type. Three characters speak on binge drinking, moderation, drinking games, and related themes. Do drinking activities such as beer pong and flip cup lead to alcohol addiction? It was suggested in the documentary that more students exist who can have fun…
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Alcoholism is Not a Disease
Addiction specialist and licensed psychologist Stanton Peele responds to the question Is alcoholism a disease? Peele argues that alcoholism as inbred and lifelong, and not susceptible to external factors is incorrect. All factors have an impact. Do you agree with Peeles conclusions? What are some of the external factors which affect problem drinking? How does social class or socio-economic status…
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Ron Paul Debates Stephen Baldwin on Legalizing Marijuana on CNN Larry King
Congressman Ron Paul and actor Stephen Baldwin debate whether or not marijuana should be legalized. Ron Paul believes that the war on drugs is pushing people toward drugs, rather than keeping them away. In his opening argument, Stephen Baldwin says that marijuana leads to doing worse things. The argument that marijuana leads people down a dangerous path has been popular…
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LSD – A Case Study
This clip is presumably a 1960s public service announcement against LSD. A female character describes her experiences dropping acid, including a disturbing interaction with a talking hot dog. How is this commercial trying to talk people out of trying LSD? How are todays public campaigns against drugs different from those of past decades? How does LSD affect the brain?
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Dock Ellis and the LSD No-No
Doc Ellis, who passed away in 2008, pitched one of only 263 no-hitters in the history of major league baseball, and he did so while high on LSD. This short animation is set to an account he gave to a radio station of just how this came to happen. Why does the animation in this video fittingly depict his descriptions?…
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Suboxone Withdrawal is the Worst Ever!
In this clip, a man speaks to the camera about various ways to stop an addiction. One of the options he describes is suboxone, a medication similar to methadone, which can help wean someone off of opiates. If you search for withdrawal in YouTube, you can find dozens of videos of people who are going through withdrawal and detoxification from…
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