| ACTFORCHANGE
ACTIVISM UPDATE: February 5, 2002
If you watched the Super Bowl, you probably saw two dramatic ads that link illegal drug use and terrorism — including the terrorist attacks on September 11. Super Bowl Sunday has become as famous for the slick commercials run between plays as for the actual game played on the field, and by any measure these particular spots sent a powerful message. Unfortunately, that message is misguided, and the millions being spent to promote it are a sad waste. Don't get us wrong: Addictive drugs like cocaine and heroin are destroying lives and families in America every day. It is also true that drug sales generate profits for overseas cartels and terrorists often sell drugs to finance violence. However, it makes no sense for the government to buy the most expensive airtime there is to air spots that seem designed mainly to link the popular War on Terrorism with the unpopular War on Drugs. Only a third of federal anti-drug money is earmarked for prevention and treatment programs — even though waiting lists for treatment programs are so long as to be cruel. Yet out of these limited funds, the White House spent $3.2 million to air two 30-second commercials. The ads were created under the auspices of President Bush's drug czar as part of a $10 million campaign. In the first ad, a litany of a terrorist's expenses concludes with a question: "Where do terrorists get their money? If you buy drugs, some of it may come from you." The second ad splices images of teenagers claiming drugs are "just fun" with other teens taking the blame for atrocities committed in other countries. "I helped murder families in Colombia," says one kid, "I helped the bomber get a fake passport," claims another. While such shocking statements may hit viewers in the gut, they will do little, if anything, to end either drug abuse or drug-related violence. By almost any measure, the United States' War on Drugs continues to be an abject failure, and the reasons are pretty simple: The profits from the illegal sale of drugs, like cocaine and heroin, are so large that drug cartels can overwhelm the billions of dollars spent on seizing drugs and counter-narcotics operations overseas. The White House's Super Bowl ads represent the continuation of a failed policy that does not serve our kids, fight terrorists or help to liberate those living under the scourge of governments corrupted by drug money. Instead, they represent a missed opportunity to channel millions of dollars into drug prevention and treatment programs that work. E-mail President Bush to express outrage that millions of dollars were spent on misguided Super Bowl ads when important treatment and prevention programs are underfunded. Click here to take action now! Melissa
Simpson |
