Canada to Air Ad About Driving Under the Influence of Cannabis

With legalization just around the corner for Canada, the country is creating an anti-cannabis and driving ad campaign in preparation for more open access to the plant.

The most recent ad promotes safe driving and awareness through a stirring, realistic message. It starts off with a teen riding in the car with friends, taking selfies while they all smoke cannabis. The driver appears to be feeling the effects, and everyone is laughing and listening to music. The scene is cut off suddenly by a car horn and the sound of broken glass, and ends with a cell phone covered in broken glass. Before the end of the commercial, a narrator’s voice claims, “Your life can change in an instant. Don’t drive high.” The commercial’s duration is 30 seconds, and is set to run on Monday, December 18.

According to CBC News, Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale wants the ads targeted to those ages 16 to 24, a group he calls “particularly impressionable.” The country is spending $3 million on the ads. “Too many Canadians badly need to hear that message—too many people downplay the potentially deadly risks of driving high,” Goodale told CBC News in an interview.

The Canadian government plans to spend $46 million on communication efforts over the next five years, and that budget could increase if and when video campaigns like this one are evaluated. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is also said to be running its own campaign for awareness. The MADD Canada national president, Patricia Hynes-Coates, believes its essential to make every attempt to educate viewers. “We know that if this campaign and the campaigns MADD Canada runs and all these other organizations are running save one life, then we know it’s well worth running these programs,” Hynes-Coates said. “If none of us have to put a loved one into a cold grave, then we have accomplished our jobs.”

Although Canada has officially approved legalization, it is clear that some groups believe that cannabis cannot be consumed responsibly. Only time will tell how Canada grows this new industry and responds to challenges.