‘Stoner Sloth’: Australia’s Worst Anti-Drug Campaign?

The Australian government is known for its ‘hit and miss’ anti-drug campaigns.

First, there was the notorious ‘anti-ecstasy’ campaign, which saw bus shelters and billboards adorned with pictures of filthy toilets in a bid to educate users about the conditions in which ecstasy is made.

Although the campaign aimed to educate users about the dangers of ecstasy, many pointed out that legalising the drug would address the issue by ensuring manufacturers were subject to strict government controls on the use of fillers, manufacturing conditions and purity levels.

Drug reformist express the view that the expensive advertising campaign merely illustrated the problems associated with forcing users to obtain drugs through the black market.

More recently, the government unveiled its controversial ‘Dob in a Drug Dealer’ campaign, encouraging the public to report drug-related activity. The initiative attracted strong criticism from organisations such as the NSW Bar Association, which released a paper suggesting it would be ineffective in addressing drug use and availability.

But the government’s latest investment is perhaps its biggest failure yet.

‘You’re Worse on Weed’

Dubbed the ‘Stoner Sloth: You’re Worse on Weed,’ the campaign consists of several videos featuring people dressed in adult-sized sloth costumes attempting to navigate various social situations – but failing because they are affected by cannabis.

In one video, a sloth named ‘Dave’ struggles to make conversation with a group of friends at a party, before they walk away, disgusted with his drug-affected state.

In another, ‘Jason’ the sloth is unable to pass the salt at a family dinner, instead passing his mother a bowl of salad.

The full compilation of Stoner Sloth videos can be viewed here.

The videos have been disseminated under the hashtags #stonersloth, #youreworseonweed, #fail, #stoned and #baked in an attempt to make them ‘go viral’. A website for the campaign has also been set up, with links to information about drugs and their effect on the body.

But instead of educating people, the campaign has attracted widespread ridicule, with some even asking whether it is the government’s attempt at a joke.

One of the comments on the campaign’s Facebook page said: ‘I literally can’t tell if it’s satire or legit,’ while another read, ‘I really need some weed to fully enjoy this.’

Others have suggested that it encourages drug use because sloths are ‘the already-existing symbol for getting unashamedly, catastrophically stoned.’

But a government spokesperson has confirmed the legitimacy of the campaign, saying:

‘The campaign is designed to appeal to, and be ‘shareable’ among teenagers, who are some of the most vulnerable to cannabis use…We know that younger audiences respond more to campaigns highlighting the short-term consequences of their actions.’

Ironically, an article published by ‘Junkee’ points out that ‘Stoner Sloth’ is in fact the name of an online shop which sells marijuana pipes, bongs and even hydroponic growing equipment. The shop promotes dispensaries in the United States, as well as ‘smoker-friendly tourism.’

On a more serious note, some members of the public have expressed their concern that the campaign is a waste of taxpayer money.

It is unclear how much the government has spent on the campaign, but previous anti-drug campaigns have been estimated to cost hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars – money that could be better spent on drug treatment, rehabilitation and diversionary programs.

Drug experts overwhelmingly express the view that scare campaigns fail to deter drug use – and that the government should invest taxpayer funds on promoting safe drug use through educative and harm minimisation measures.

But it seems that time and time again, these recommendations are ignored in favour of an expensive yet ineffective campaigns, and punitive approach to drug use.