The party's over

Icaras · 09-03-2008 02:44PM #1

The national health servie has launched a big campaign against people using cocaine in the past month or two (see more on drugs.ie).
The problem I have with this is they have started using the catchphrase "The party's over" - this does not in any way make me think I shouldn't take cocaine. When looking at the billboards (haven't seen any t.v. ads yet) I think to myself "the party's over when I say its over, buddy".
Also when the campaign was launched I remember some woman in the HSE in her 50's being interviewed (on TV3 I think) say something along the line that "young people must realise they are funding gun crime and destroying the country".
In my opinion the people taking drugs dont care about the country, dont care about potentially reducing their life expectancy by a few years and dont care about some woman trying to tell them to stop "enjoying" themselves.

This thread is not to intended to start an arguement on drug taking, it is a rant about how out of touch, I think, the goverment are on the whole drug taking issue, how the have no idea how to solve the problem and also what sort of ad campaign would stop people taking drugs.

I think an ad of some guy total off his head trying to chat up some really good looking girl and getting nowhere cos hes so off his face and the line at the end coming up "he would have scored if he wasnt off is head" would work a lot better or the same situation but with the line being "dont be an a**hole, dont take drugs".
Also if you are planning on saying "youll never stop people taking drugs" dont bother posting - you are not helping.

monkeyfudge · 09-03-2008 02:47PM

The posters do seem to be a rather naff attempt to be youthful and trendy.

But white text on a pink background? Maybe it's easy to read if you're coked off your tits.

09-03-2008 02:55PM

Icaras wrote: »

The national health servie has launched a big campaign against people using cocaine in the past month or two (see more on drugs.ie).
The problem I have with this is they have started using the catchphrase "The party's over" - this does not in any way make me think I shouldn't take cocaine. When looking at the billboards (haven't seen any t.v. ads yet) I think to myself "the party's over when I say its over, buddy".
Also when the campaign was launched I remember some woman in the HSE in her 50's being interviewed (on TV3 I think) say something along the line that "young people must realise they are funding gun crime and destroying the country".
In my opinion the people taking drugs dont care about the country, dont care about potentially reducing their life expectancy by a few years and dont care about some woman trying to tell them to stop "enjoying" themselves.

This thread is not to intended to start an arguement on drug taking, it is a rant about how out of touch, I think, the goverment are on the whole drug taking issue, how the have no idea how to solve the problem and also what sort of ad campaign would stop people taking drugs.

I think an ad of some guy total off his head trying to chat up some really good looking girl and getting nowhere cos hes so off his face and the line at the end coming up "he would have scored if he wasnt off is head" would work a lot better or the same situation but with the line being "dont be an a**hole, dont take drugs".
Also if you are planning on saying "youll never stop people taking drugs" dont bother posting - you are not helping.

well I don't know where you get the notion that drug users don't care for the country and as for them adds, I saw a lorry pulling a sign along on Baggot St a few weeks ago, it made me stop and think.

The government are out of touch, what do you think should be the way to do it?

Karoma · 09-03-2008 02:59PM

Icaras wrote: »

I think an ad of some guy total off his head trying to chat up some really good looking girl and getting nowhere cos hes so off his face and the line at the end coming up "he would have scored if he wasnt off is head" would work a lot better or the same situation but with the line being "dont be an a**hole, dont take drugs".

The anti-alcohol bastards got there first. The anti-coke crowd take what they can.

rubadub · 09-03-2008 03:00PM

Icaras wrote: »

I think an ad of some guy total off his head trying to chat up some really good looking girl and getting nowhere cos hes so off his face and the line at the end coming up "he would have scored if he wasnt off is head" would work a lot better or the same situation but with the line being "dont be an a**hole, dont take drugs".

He wouldnt have scored since he probably would have been drinking, and the other ads all tell me that wimmin don't ride lads who drink.

All these ads do seem to go on about "scoring", the coke thing on http://www.drugs.ie/ mentions impotence, so do smoking ads and booze ads. Must be improving viagra sales!

Sigmund Freud use to rub liberal amounts of cocaine on his "undercarriage" to get a good erection.

The whole "funding gangs" just gives reason to remove prohibition, just like the US did with booze.

Thomas_S_Hunterson · 09-03-2008 03:02PM

youll never stop people taking drugs

/edit. On a serious note, there's no real precedent for successful campaigns of this nature. All these organisations can do is put together a campaing and hope for the best. It's trial and error.

Lazare · 09-03-2008 03:03PM

If cocaine was legalised and manufactured in a regulated environment, and freely/cheaply available, diluted to be safe, but still enjoyable, we wouldn't be in this mess.

Huge market for hugely profitable illegal product, makes big bad boys run around the block shooting automatic weapons at each other. It also makes same bad boys add harmfull un-regulated cheap chemicals to said product to add to the already massive bottom line.

Legalise and regulate = way forward.

Karoma · 09-03-2008 03:07PM

Sean_K wrote: »

/edit. On a serious note, there's no real precedent for successful campaigns of this nature. All these organisations can do is put together a campaing and hope for the best. It's trial and error.

Damnit! DAMNIT, MAN! Hoping for the best isn't enough. We need to be properly convinced to not take drugs or we're doomed! We cannot be trusted to make decisions for ourselves.

Kold · 09-03-2008 03:08PM

My submissions: "Take cocaine responsibly" and "Fair Trade Cocaine"

thelordofcheese · 09-03-2008 03:09PM

Icaras wrote: »

In my opinion the people taking drugs don't care about potentially reducing their life expectancy by a few years

Well to be fair those years are off the end of your life, and those years are **** anyway.

Sangre · 09-03-2008 05:27PM

Know the line thats one too many.

Thomas_S_Hunterson · 09-03-2008 05:29PM

Lazare wrote: »

If cocaine was legalised and manufactured in a regulated environment, and freely/cheaply available, diluted to be safe, but still enjoyable, we wouldn't be in this mess.

Huge market for hugely profitable illegal product, makes big bad boys run around the block shooting automatic weapons at each other. It also makes same bad boys add harmfull un-regulated cheap chemicals to said product to add to the already massive bottom line.

Legalise and regulate = way forward.

No to mention the ridiculous amount of money that we would make from the increased tourism and the taxes it could pull in.

The dutch know where the money's at.

buckfast4me · 09-03-2008 05:53PM

Those ads make me wanna do coke even more, for fear of ending up like the people featured on them.

~Rebel~ · 09-03-2008 05:55PM

Sean_K wrote: »

No to mention the ridiculous amount of money that we would make from the increased tourism and the taxes it could pull in.

The dutch know where the money's at.

The other side is that we become the drug tourism centre of the world. We'd become the new amsterdam where everyone comes to get fcked up. Something like this could only work if it was done over the whole continent to stop everyone flooding to one spot.

Wertz · 09-03-2008 05:59PM

Icaras wrote: »

This thread is not to intended to start an arguement on drug taking, it is a rant about how out of touch, I think, the goverment are on the whole drug taking issue, how the have no idea how to solve the problem and also what sort of ad campaign would stop people taking drugs.

I have to agree....listening to a piece on Matt Cooper the other day about teh EU banning BZP ("herbal ecstasy") and there was some woman from some drug awareness group argiuing with some idiot guy from Hot Press....to be fair neither side won me over with their "arguments", but the woman was so seemingly out of touch and spouting the usual clichés that I just turned off in disgust.
If the government and health authorities are serious about curtailing the use of illegal drugs then actually engaging the demogrpahic groups they wish to target with people who speak the language, not some school m'arm biddy spouting off something she read in a 1970's american textbook would be a great start. I'm not saying that my approach would work, but enough of the preaching BS and start treating people like they have a mind of their own.

Those ad banners certainly are eye catching, all the day-glo goodness and groovy hookline ("the party's over" :rolleyes: ) certainly had me thinking about drugs...for about 2 seconds.
Next time I'm back at a part and someone pulls out the goodie bag, that poster and it's message will be very far from my mind...I suspect the same can be said for most people like me...

dsmythy · 09-03-2008 06:32PM

Lazare wrote: »

If cocaine was legalised and manufactured in a regulated environment, and freely/cheaply available, diluted to be safe, but still enjoyable, we wouldn't be in this mess.

Huge market for hugely profitable illegal product, makes big bad boys run around the block shooting automatic weapons at each other. It also makes same bad boys add harmfull un-regulated cheap chemicals to said product to add to the already massive bottom line.

Legalise and regulate = way forward.

Wow the perfect cocaine. You won't freak out and aggression won't be increased in some people.

09-03-2008 08:46PM

Lazare wrote: »

If cocaine was legalised and manufactured in a regulated environment, and freely/cheaply available, diluted to be safe, but still enjoyable, we wouldn't be in this mess.

Huge market for hugely profitable illegal product, makes big bad boys run around the block shooting automatic weapons at each other. It also makes same bad boys add harmfull un-regulated cheap chemicals to said product to add to the already massive bottom line.

Legalise and regulate = way forward.

That assumes that the main ingredient is safe on its own which it clearly isn't.

WoollyRedHat · 09-03-2008 08:50PM

But you have to take into account that in many ways the hse are out-of date and incompetent.

Tha Gopher · 09-03-2008 08:51PM

Wertz wrote: »

I have to agree....listening to a piece on Matt Cooper the other day about teh EU banning BZP ("herbal ecstasy")
.
Next time I'm back at a part and someone pulls out the goodie bag, that poster and it's message will be very far from my mind...I suspect the same can be said for most people like me...

Fairly sure BZP is different from herbal ecstasy. BZP is a chemical substance, and a fcuking dangerous one at that. Most terrifying night of me and my mates life spent on that filth.

I dont need ads to stop me doing cocaine. The shockingly bad impurity and quality of the white sniffable dental anaesthetic sold as cocaine in Ireland is enough to keep me off the crap.

Kold · 09-03-2008 08:55PM

Tha Gopher wrote: »

I dont need ads to stop me doing cocaine. The shockingly bad impurity and quality of the white sniffable dental anaesthetic sold as cocaine in Ireland is enough to keep me off the crap.

True enough, "It's sh*t and expensive, just get yourselve's some mandy" I should work for the HSE.

slipss · 09-03-2008 08:57PM

Icaras wrote: »

The national health servie has launched a big campaign against people using cocaine in the past month or two (see more on drugs.ie).
The problem I have with this is they have started using the catchphrase "The party's over" - this does not in any way make me think I shouldn't take cocaine. When looking at the billboards (haven't seen any t.v. ads yet) I think to myself "the party's over when I say its over, buddy".
Also when the campaign was launched I remember some woman in the HSE in her 50's being interviewed (on TV3 I think) say something along the line that "young people must realise they are funding gun crime and destroying the country".
In my opinion the people taking drugs dont care about the country, dont care about potentially reducing their life expectancy by a few years and dont care about some woman trying to tell them to stop "enjoying" themselves.

This thread is not to intended to start an arguement on drug taking, it is a rant about how out of touch, I think, the goverment are on the whole drug taking issue, how the have no idea how to solve the problem and also what sort of ad campaign would stop people taking drugs.

I think an ad of some guy total off his head trying to chat up some really good looking girl and getting nowhere cos hes so off his face and the line at the end coming up "he would have scored if he wasnt off is head" would work a lot better or the same situation but with the line being "dont be an a**hole, dont take drugs".
Also if you are planning on saying "youll never stop people taking drugs" dont bother posting - you are not helping.

Couldn't agree more in relation to the current add campaign. Those radio adds are painfully cheesy and i can't imagine them working in the slightest way on anyone whatsoever. "face it, cocaine isn't fun",.......oh really it isn't and here I was thinking that it was, I guess I was wrong, won't be taking anymore coke so. Genius, if only we'd thought of telling people drugs aren't fun before, there would be no drug problem by now. The very reason people take drugs is because they are fun. Why not start an add campaign to help people lose weight "face it, fatty high sugar foods don't taste nice" or one to tackle teen pregnancy and STI's "face it, sex feels horrible". Idiots!

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 09-03-2008 08:57PM

Icaras wrote: »

The national health servie has launched a big campaign against people using cocaine in the past month or two (see more on drugs.ie).
The problem I have with this is they have started using the catchphrase "The party's over" - this does not in any way make me think I shouldn't take cocaine. When looking at the billboards (haven't seen any t.v. ads yet) I think to myself "the party's over when I say its over, buddy".
Also when the campaign was launched I remember some woman in the HSE in her 50's being interviewed (on TV3 I think) say something along the line that "young people must realise they are funding gun crime and destroying the country".
In my opinion the people taking drugs dont care about the country, dont care about potentially reducing their life expectancy by a few years and dont care about some woman trying to tell them to stop "enjoying" themselves.

This thread is not to intended to start an arguement on drug taking, it is a rant about how out of touch, I think, the goverment are on the whole drug taking issue, how the have no idea how to solve the problem and also what sort of ad campaign would stop people taking drugs.

I think an ad of some guy total off his head trying to chat up some really good looking girl and getting nowhere cos hes so off his face and the line at the end coming up "he would have scored if he wasnt off is head" would work a lot better or the same situation but with the line being "dont be an a**hole, dont take drugs".
Also if you are planning on saying "youll never stop people taking drugs" dont bother posting - you are not helping.

I thought "The Party's Over" meant "look what we're clsoing down NOW!"

Wertz · 09-03-2008 09:19PM

Tha Gopher wrote: »

Fairly sure BZP is different from herbal ecstasy. BZP is a chemical substance, and a fcuking dangerous one at that. Most terrifying night of me and my mates life spent on that filth.

I dont need ads to stop me doing cocaine. The shockingly bad impurity and quality of the white sniffable dental anaesthetic sold as cocaine in Ireland is enough to keep me off the crap.

You're probably right with the BZP thing, I don't know, I've never bought it or done it...just heard it decribed as herbal XTC by people that have.
If I want to do pills I do them...can't beat a good serotonin rush and a bit of brain damage

WRT "the party's over"...have to take issue with the phrase...it's talking down, telling people what to do...if someone is already flauting the law by taking drugs what makes the HSE/government think that they'll be told what to do...everyone's been fine, caning it for a few years and then a month after a high profile drug death, we're suddenly being ordered what to do..but in a reassuredly "we know best" preachy BS way.

flanum · 09-03-2008 09:48PM

Lazare wrote: »

If cocaine was legalised and manufactured in a regulated environment, and freely/cheaply available, diluted to be safe, but still enjoyable, we wouldn't be in this mess.

Legalise and regulate = way forward.

WTF? u for real? where on this planet is cocaine legalised and regulated?
why all of a sudden is the sudden interest in cocaine in ireland? is it because some stupid whore clothes-horse killed herself? who gives a ****? cokes been around ireland for donkeys years. Do people actually believe ireland will succeed in somehow curtailing its use? its here to stay!

phantom_lord · 09-03-2008 09:56PM

Icaras wrote: »

The national health servie has launched a big campaign against people using cocaine in the past month or two (see more on drugs.ie).
The problem I have with this is they have started using the catchphrase "The party's over" - this does not in any way make me think I shouldn't take cocaine. When looking at the billboards (haven't seen any t.v. ads yet) I think to myself "the party's over when I say its over, buddy".
Also when the campaign was launched I remember some woman in the HSE in her 50's being interviewed (on TV3 I think) say something along the line that "young people must realise they are funding gun crime and destroying the country".
In my opinion the people taking drugs dont care about the country, dont care about potentially reducing their life expectancy by a few years and dont care about some woman trying to tell them to stop "enjoying" themselves.

This thread is not to intended to start an arguement on drug taking, it is a rant about how out of touch, I think, the goverment are on the whole drug taking issue, how the have no idea how to solve the problem and also what sort of ad campaign would stop people taking drugs.

I think an ad of some guy total off his head trying to chat up some really good looking girl and getting nowhere cos hes so off his face and the line at the end coming up "he would have scored if he wasnt off is head" would work a lot better or the same situation but with the line being "dont be an a**hole, dont take drugs".
Also if you are planning on saying "youll never stop people taking drugs" dont bother posting - you are not helping.

haven't seen the ad campaign, but reading your post the impression i get is, stop taking coke = the party's over. not really a very persuasive set of ads they're running is it?

Lazare wrote: »

If cocaine was legalised and manufactured in a regulated environment, and freely/cheaply available, diluted to be safe, but still enjoyable, we wouldn't be in this mess.

Huge market for hugely profitable illegal product, makes big bad boys run around the block shooting automatic weapons at each other. It also makes same bad boys add harmfull un-regulated cheap chemicals to said product to add to the already massive bottom line.

Legalise and regulate = way forward.

you mean, like it was in the beginning? you used to get coke and weed from the local pharmacist. and **** it for a while there was people who gave acid away, thems were days!

SprostonGreen · 09-03-2008 10:00PM

Icaras wrote: »

Also when the campaign was launched I remember some woman in the HSE in her 50's being interviewed (on TV3 I think) say something along the line that "young people must realise they are funding gun crime and destroying the country".

That sounds like Gráinne Kenny from Europe against drugs. I havent done drugs in years but listening to that c'unt makes me want to back on them.

Trojan911 · 09-03-2008 10:13PM

A person buying drugs gives the dealer business, the dealer gives the importer business. Drug users keep the market in demand.... Everyone who buys from a dealer or is offered free drugs is contributing to the drugs trade.

They are are all scummy lowlife contributers to murder, misery & crime. I shed no tears when I hear of another shooting or a person dropping into a coma from drug abuse. My only concern is that person has taken up a life support machine which could be used for a genuine illness not drug related. Selfish barstewards. They deserve all they get & more.

09-03-2008 10:18PM

SprostonGreen wrote: »

That sounds like Gráinne Kenny from Europe against drugs. I havent done drugs in years but listening to that c'unt makes me want to back on them.

I despise that woman. She trots out the same old tired arguments while sounding like a pompous twat.

rubadub · 09-03-2008 10:49PM

slipss wrote: »

The very reason people take drugs is because they are fun. Why not start an add campaign to help people lose weight "face it, fatty high sugar foods don't taste nice" or one to tackle teen pregnancy and STI's "face it, sex feels horrible". Idiots!

LOL, it is a strange idea they came up with. Like how those alcohol ads were said to have backfired, people just laughing watching them, probably having a few cans saying "that'll be Johnny later on!"

flanum wrote: »

WTF? u for real? where on this planet is cocaine legalised and regulated?

He never said it was, though in some S.American countries I think you can buy coca leaves in supermarkets. Of course that is not as bad as coke but it shows some people do use it in small doses. Like people can have a glass of wine with dinner, while others will skull a bottle of vodka. Many refuse to accept that illegal drugs could be taken in a small dose, the media do not help matters. If you look at any of these ads you could just as easily substitute in any currently legal recreational drug with the same wording.

Trojan911 wrote: »

A person buying drugs gives the dealer business, the dealer gives the importer business. Drug users keep the market in demand.... Everyone who buys from a dealer or is offered free drugs is contributing to the drugs trade.

This is a relatively new approach. I think even the gardai officially withdrew the whole "gateway" farce, so this is the new one. As I said any legal drugs will cause similar negative physical problems, so all they have left is this "funding crime" logic, buy some hash and you have a hand in death. All it does is bolster the point that prohibition doesn't work, and that taxation and control is really the only feasible option, just like the US discovered a long time ago with booze. Some people who do give a damn about quality and source will grow their own, becoming more popular now, some people even grow coca plants.

It costs more to drink coke all night in a pub than do do coke, e's are now cheaper than pints. The party is just beginning...

c0rk3r · 09-03-2008 11:10PM

This will put people of doing drugs. Current ad campaign is rubbish

amygurn.jpg

Trojan911 · 09-03-2008 11:13PM

rubadub wrote: »

This is a relatively new approach.

Not new in the UK, maybe here but then again Ireland is about 8-10 years behind.....

The party's over

Comments