Colorado Launches “Don’t
Be a Lab Rat” Youth Marijuana Education Campaign
Campaign aims to increase
awareness among youth ages 12-15 of risks
associated with underage marijuana use
associated with underage marijuana use
Grand Junction-Stocker Stadium– The State of Colorado, has launched a new public
education campaign –
“Don’t Be a Lab Rat” – targeting youth ages 12-15 with the goal of increasing their awareness of
the risks associated
with underage marijuana use.
The statewide campaign
was funded primarily by grants from the State Attorney General’s Office and a
handful of civic-minded organizations, including the Anschutz Foundation and
the El Pomar Foundation. The campaign was
developed by Denver-based Sukle
Advertising & Design (Sukle) in conjunction with all of the partners and in consultation with
the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
The
campaign uses the theme “Don’t Be a Lab Rat” to illustrate to kids that if they
choose to use marijuana, they are consuming a substance that has effects on
teens’ developing brains that are not yet fully understood, and that by doing
so they essentially volunteer as the subjects of research about those effects.
“While
much still needs to be learned about the effect marijuana has on the brain,
enough information is available to cause concern in terms of the negative
effects marijuana can have on the developing brains of teenagers,” said Dr.
Larry Wolk, CDPHE’s executive director and chief medical officer. “The core
premise of the ‘Don’t Be a Lab Rat’ campaign acknowledges that more research is
necessary, but it also poses the question of whether or not teens should risk
the potential negative effects of using marijuana.”
Specific
components of the campaign include:
- Experiential
“Lab Rat Cage” installations in high-foot-traffic areas with messages
communicating the potential damage marijuana has on a teen’s brain and the
notion that Colorado’s youth are the test subjects for continued
observation
- A
microsite (www.dontbealabrat.com)
serving as a quick resource providing links
to related articles and research and including easy share functionality to social
media pages - Advertising
in movie theaters
- Installation
of a “Lab Rat Cage,”
- Commercials
on YouTube targeted to Colorado teens
“From the most recent
Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, we know that the percentage of high school kids
who think using marijuana poses risks to their health has gone down, which has
raised the concern of health experts who worry the normalization of marijuana
in Colorado could lead more kids to try it,” said Governor John Hickenlooper.
“We have a civic and public health obligation to do everything we can to make
our children aware that there are risks for teens when they use marijuana. This
campaign is designed to grab the attention of teens and their parents, and
provide them with the facts to have an informed discussion and make informed
choices.”
“We
want to ensure this new industry is making a safe contribution to our city, and
that means educating our young people about the possible effects on their
development,” said Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock. “In the way that tobacco
prevention campaigns have resulted in decreased use, our goal is to have a
similar impact on teen marijuana use in Denver and across Colorado.”
In
developing the campaign, Sukle conducted in-depth qualitative research with
more than 100 people – youth and experts – across the state. This included 46
teens ranging in age from 12-20, and included a representative mix of gender,
ethnicity and socio-economic backgrounds. Sukle also conducted one-on-one
interviews with treatment and youth prevention experts, and engaged in careful
study of existing research on marijuana’s effects on the developing brain in
consultation with CDPHE.
This research revealed that kids and teens are
concerned about the possible harmful effects of marijuana on their brains, that
they are responsive to facts and honest information about the risks of
marijuana use, and that they prefer to have this information so they can be
empowered to make informed decisions about marijuana. These findings became the
basis for the theme and structure of the campaign. The 12-15 age group was
targeted because they were found to be the most persuadable in terms of shaping
their attitudes about marijuana. The goal is therefore to reach this age group
with accurate information before they are introduced to marijuana by others.
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