Adverts To Warn Of Dangers Of Cocaine

A new hard-hitting £1 million TV and online FRANK advertising campaign which shows the dangers of cocaine use was unveiled today by the Government.

The campaign is centred on "Pablo the drug mule dog", who died as he was being used to smuggle cocaine into the country. Waking from the dead, he goes on a mission to find out the truth about the risks and consequences of taking the drug. The adverts, which launch tonight on Channel 4, satellite channels and online are aimed at 15-18 year olds.

Home Office Minister Alan Campbell said: "The new hard-hitting adverts 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.

"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.

He added: "Young people need to be aware of the dangers and FRANK is the ideal messenger for this as an established and trusted service."

Approximately 80 per cent of the cocaine used in the UK comes from Colombia, where increased production of the drug is driving armed violence, kidnapping, terrorism, use of illegal landmines and having a devastating environmental impact through deforestation and water contamination.

The Government supports the Colombian Government's 'Shared Responsibility' campaign to demonstrate the devastating environmental impact of cocaine production, fuelled by the demand for cocaine here in the UK.

Colombian Vice-President Francisco Santos Calderon said: "Cocaine is 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 4 square metres of rainforest. Anyone living a "green" lifestyle should consider the environmental impact of consuming cocaine, which is not a victimless drug."

FRANK will also launch a new action pack to help those working with young people to understand the complexity of issues surrounding cocaine and how they can link their work to the new campaign. Full of information, facts and statistics and activity ideas, it explains what the law says, why cocaine is a problem and the dangers associated with its use.

(JM)