I was driving the other day when I heard an ad (or maybe it was a PSA) that had the basic message that drug addiction was just like having cancer. Now, it did not say "Drug addiction is a disease." It clearly stated that drug addiction is the same as having cancer. That is bull$%#@! I am pretty sure they just pissed off any person who has ever had cancer; and parent who ever dealt with a child with cancer; any person who ever watched a friend dying from cancer... etc. I am just completely aghast (yup, I said aghast) at the advertising/ marketing people who came up with this campaign. I have known plenty of addicts in my life and I know for a fact that every single one made the choice to use their drug of preference. I have never heard of a case where someone was held down as alcohol was poured down their throat and then, unbeknownst to them, they developed alcoholism. They make a choice every single drink/ snort/ hit. I am willing to bet if you could approach a leukemia patient and said "You can decide to not have cancer tomorrow, would you like to make that choice?" they would say "I choose to be disease free." And to even compare the two scenarios is ridiculous, at best. You are demeaning anyone with terminal illness and, at the same time, giving the crackheads a bye.
I have tried to find out who put the ad out so that I could give them a piece of my mind, but I can not find any info on it. If I ever do though... you better believe I will be letting them know what big ass faces they are.
what radio station?
ReplyDeleteif they don't tell you, then start a campaign against them playing the ad. money talks.
Hey...just wanted to thank you for stopping by my blog!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you! Any addiction is a choice---cancer isn't.
Like, seriously, who would CHOOSE to have cancer?
Puh-lease!
Just a quick note that drug addiction and alcoholism have been identified by the Canadian and American Medical Associations as an ILLNESS, a DISEASE. Yes there is a choice to drink or drug IN THE BEGINNING, but if you are predisposed to have the illness you no longer choose, your disease is telling you that your body NEEDS these substances to survive. As for Cancer, there are people who smoke, sun tan and expose themselves to many other things that are cancer causing...do you lack sympathy for them too, as if they chose to behave recklessly with their health?????? Educate yourself as it is dangerous for suffering alcoholics and addicts to continually face this type of bigotry in society.
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