Some of you may remember the dramatic drug PSA from the 1980s that attempted to explain the dangerous affects of drugs by frying an egg in a frying pan. In 1997, a follow up was made with a young Rachel Leigh Cook that specifically targeted heroin use. In it, Rachel smashes a raw egg with a frying pan, after which she goes on to destroy her kitchen to show that heroin’s effects extend past an individual’s health. It left a lasting impression:
In an interesting move on the part of The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) in honor of 4/20, they hired Rachel to reprise her frying-pan wielding skills to discuss drugs once again. However, this time, the message deals with the disparity in US drug policy when it comes to drug arrests based on race.
Since this was released in connection with 4/20, I assume that the generic term “drug” in the video mostly means marijuana. To put it succinctly, today’s numbers support this information. People of color are still more likely to be arrested and incarcerated for drug offenses than whites. According to the DPA website, they are “promoting drug policies that are grounded in science, compassion, health and human rights.” If I am reading their mission correctly, their objective is to leave recreational users of all races alone and focus on arresting those who commit crimes against others – again, all races. With this being that case, it makes this ad an interesting choice because the 1997 PSA drove home the point of the damage done by heroin, they never say “drugs” in it, just heroin. If the DPA’s 2017 ad is referring to pot, can we really compare the effects of pot to to heroin? I don’t have an issue with the DPA’s message in the ad of exposing and amending an unfair policy. With marijuana being legalized in so many states, I’m fine backing the idea that we should stop arresting people for possession if it’s for personal consumption. But I feel they missed the mark. As it pertains to heroin effects, the 1997 ad is still relevant.
For anyone unfamiliar with what 4/20 is, it’s long been said that 4/20 comes from the police code for juvenile drug offenses. However, this is not so. The original title is actually 4:20 (technically 4:20 Louis) as it indicated the time that a group of high schoolers would meet to try to find a rumored abandoned cannabis crop. The name stuck and has since evolved into 4/20 to be celebrated on that date. How do I know this? I went to the high school at which 4:20 originated. And even those of us who were uptight goody-goodies, once a year we all show our school spirit by announcing to anyone who will listen that we went to that school. It is the most desperate attempt at cool cred points most of us make. Go Waldos!
Photo credit: YouTube, Getty Images and WENN Photos
“As it pertains to heroin, the 1997 ad still stands” — Except it doesn’t. The disparity in arrests and sentencing for heroin still exists in the exact same manner as marijuana. Same for cocaine. It’s the same for practically every illegal drug trafficked in the US, where the primary consumers of the drug are white people, but the people targeted for incarceration are POC, specifically black and latina people. Meanwhile, the war on drugs has done basically the opposite of decreasing and dissuading people from using drugs, especially considering that opioid and heroin abuse are drastically on the rise. Not to mention, while the whole “this is your brain on drugs” thing might be accurate, the fact is that the most potent and effective way to treat drug addiction is to not criminalize drug use, but to deal with it as a public health issue (a point that’s been reiterated a lot tbh).
I love the new take on the ad, but the old 1997 one is yet another example of just how wrong people had it back it in the day when it came to drugs. And we’re still dealing with the after effects of that tremendously misguided policy.
yeah, the 1997 ad was certainly memorable but I don’t think it fits the reality of a time when people are most likely to become addicted to drugs via prescription.
And I think the 2017 one has it on the nose – good on them for revising that iconic ad.
some people that get hooked on opiate based drugs originally started taking them for a legitimate medical reason like management of pain from a chronic condition like arthritis as I do Latina’s aren’t people of color they are white your thinking of people from the West indies and Africa. she should do research before she opens her mouth again
“Latina’s aren’t people of color they are white”
oh, like Salma Hayek, America Ferrera, Joan Smalls, Arlenis Sosa Peña, Rosario Dawson, Eva Longoria, Gina Torres, Q’orianka Kilcher and Zoe Saldana?
Or like Evo Morales (president of Bolivia), Benito Juárez, or Fernando Vargas Mosua?
Just got done watching 1998 all i wanna do lol it was so good!
Love Rachel Leigh Cook!!! She was in a TV show called Perception with Eric McCormack which I loved. It was a detective show with a twist–LOl and they were both great in it!!!