In the 80s, the Partnership for a Drugfree America launched a large-scale anti-drug campaign called This is Your Brain on Drugs. The campaign included several public service announcements, which are quite memorable to many 20- and 30-somethings to this day.
The PSA that's quoted most often is the "I Learned it by Watching You" PSA where a father finds his son's drugs and confronts him. The father demands to know where his son was taught how to do the stuff, and thus the line "I learned it by watching you."
The "fried egg" TV message "This is your brain. This is drugs. This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?" was widely televised and strived to change society's perceptions on drugs.
In the mid-1980s, attitudes regarding drug use evolved from “acceptable and harmless” to “addictive and dangerous.” In 1987, the “Fried Egg” TV message exploded into popular culture to catalyze a developing social perception, and reinforce the new belief that drugs were a growing problem in our country.
The PSA which featured young actress
Rachel Leigh Cook took a hard look not only at the effects of heroine on the user, but also the effects of heroine on your family and friends. (You can view the PSA
here.)
We don't see PSAs like these anymore. This campaign certainly is a flashback to the past.
