A good antidrug poster should teach about the dangers of substance use without threatening its audience.
Most people know drugs are bad. However, messages communicating this fact are often unintentionally comical, out of touch with average people or threatening. Creating an effective antidrug poster will require connecting with an audience and making it realize it is being presented with important facts, not just propaganda. There are many themes related to drug use and production that can make for excellent poster material, allowing the creator to impart a vital message.
Famous Drug-Related Deaths
Over the years, drugs have taken the lives of many famous individuals and celebrities, robbing the world of talented artists. Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin both died from using hard drugs, cutting their music careers tragically short. Actor River Phoenix, an acclaimed performer, overdosed on drugs and died, and actor Heath Ledger passed away due to an incident with prescription pills. As kids and teens often look up to actors and musicians, a poster about such famous tragedies can make the dangers of drugs hit home. By communicating the message that drugs are deadly, even for the rich and famous, viewers will think twice about brushing off the risks of experimenting with narcotics.
Health Risks
Drugs wreak havoc on the body, often in ways that are clearly visible. Users of crystal meth often suffer from a condition known as "meth mouth" that causes their teeth to rot and erode from excessive grinding, leaving them with a damaged and discolored smile. The drug also causes users to scratch and pick at their skin, leaving them with scars. Speed and other drugs can have a similar effect. For instance, heroin users often have infected injection sores. These sites are grisly but striking and hard to forget. Seeing these unwanted side effects of drug use on a poster will make viewers evaluate the risk of trying drugs, impressing upon them the ravaging impact it can have on their bodies.
Ripple Effects of Drug Use
Many people think drug use affects only the person ingesting the illegal substance, limiting the impact and harm to a single individual. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Many drugs are sourced under conditions that perpetuate violence and crime. Marijuana and other drugs coming from Mexico often result in the murder of civilians by drug cartels. The poor of Afghanistan suffer in poppy production to meet the demand for heroin, the profits of which can go to warlords. Poor people in South America are often exploited and used as drug mules, transporting narcotics across borders in their bodies, which can be fatal in the case of an accident. Design a poster discussing these secondary victims of drugs, alerting users to the many lives damaged by drug use.
