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. 2021 Feb:88:103029.
doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.103029. Epub 2020 Nov 20.

Just say know: Drug education and its publics in 1980s Britain

Alex Mold  1
Affiliations

Just say know: Drug education and its publics in 1980s Britain

Alex Mold. Int J Drug Policy. 2021 Feb.

Abstract

Until the 1980s, anti-drug education campaigns in the UK were rare. This article examines the reasons behind a policy shift that led to the introduction of mass media drug education in the mid 1980s. It focuses on two campaigns. 'Heroin Screws You Up' ran in England, and 'Choose Life Not Drugs' ran in Scotland. The campaigns were different in tone, with 'Heroin Screws You Up' making use of fear and 'shock horror' tactics, whereas 'Choose Life Not Drugs' attempted to deliver a more positive health message. 'Heroin Screws You Up' was criticised by many experts for its stigmatising approach. 'Choose Life Not Drugs' was more favourably received, but both campaigns ran into difficulties with the wider public. The messages of these campaigns were appropriated and deliberately subverted by some audiences. This historical policy analysis points towards a complex and nuanced relationship between drug education campaigns and their audiences, which raises wider questions about health education and its 'publics'.

Keywords: Drug education; Health education; Heroin; History of drug use.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Interests I have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
‘At first he was sure he'd never become a heroin addict’. Department of Health and Social Security and the Central Office of Information 1985.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Choose Life Not Drugs Scottish Health Education Group, 1985.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs . HMSO; London: 1983. Treatment and rehabilitation.
    1. Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs . HMSO; London: 1984. Prevention: Report of the advisory council on the misuse of drugs.
    1. Andrew Irving Associates . 1986. Anti-Heroin misuse campaign: Qualitative evaluation report. London.
    1. Anon B.M.J.P. New thoughts for the Health Education Council. British medical journal (Clinical research ed.) 1982;285(6357):1761–1762. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Arnold R. Heroin chic. Fashion Theory. 1999;3(3):279–295.

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