Can Health Campaigns Make People Ill? The Iatrogenic Potential of Population-Based Cannabis Prevention
Harry R. Sumnall and Mark A. Bellis, "Can health campaigns make people ill? The iatrogenic potential of population-based cannabis prevention," Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 61 (2007): 930-931.
The authors of this editorial make a case for better evaluation of the efficacy and possible damaging effects of anti-drug advertising. Much of the scarce outcome data collected on these media campaigns indicate they may be backfiring. Evaluations of some social marketing campaigns document no effect on attitudes, initiation and use of marijuana among youth. Instead, anti-marijuana advertising gives youth the false perception that marijuana use is widespread and "normal" among their peers. Users and ex-users may develop mental dysfunction, low motivation, and poor school performance as a consequence of persuasive advertising, not from marijuana use itself. Responsible scientific testing of these advertisements could avoid costly public health blunders.
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