Cocaine campaigners turn to Pablo
New £1 million anti-cocaine advertising campaign launched
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Thursday, 04, Dec 2008 11:03
A new £1 million anti-cocaine advertising campaign featuring Pablo the drug mule dog has been launched by the government.
The Frank campaign is centred on the fictional dog who died after being tricked into smuggle cocaine into the country.
During the advert Pablo, voiced by Peep Show's David Mitchell, wakes from the dead and goes on a mission to find out the truth about the risks and consequences of taking the drug.
The adverts are due to be launched tonight on Channel 4, satellite channels and online, aimed at 15 to 18 year-olds.
Home Office minister Alan Campbell said the "hard-hitting" adverts would emphasise that the harms caused by cocaine can be wide-ranging.
"Taking cocaine can have serious consequences, legally and socially, as well as from a health and environmental point of view," he said.
"While cocaine use among young people has remained stable and the number of seizures of the drug has increased by more than a third, we want young people thinking about using cocaine to be aware of the damage it causes to themselves, their families, the wider community and the environment."
Health minister Dawn Primarolo added: "There's a darker side to using cocaine which this campaign exposes. Addiction, personality change and the risk of heart attacks - even at a young age - can ruin the health and lives of cocaine users and their families."
Approximately 80 per cent of the cocaine used in the UK comes from Colombia, and the government today declared its support for the Colombian government's Shared Responsibility campaign aimed at demonstrating the devastating environmental impact of cocaine production, fuelled by the demand for cocaine in the UK.
Colombian vice-resident Francisco Santos Calderon has described cocaine as a "silent environmental catastrophe".
"Over the past 20 years, a rainforest double the size of Wales has been lost in Colombia and Peru to produce cocaine. Each time someone in the UK consumes one gram of cocaine, they become responsible for the destruction of four square metres of rainforest," he added.
Frank will also launch a new action pack today aimed at helping those working with young people to understand the complexity of issues surrounding cocaine.