2. OUR IDEA IS PAINFULLY SIMPLE
IT ISN’T ABOUT BEING TOO CLEVER.
IT’S NOT ABOUT JUMPING ON THE LATEST SOCIAL MEDIA FAD.
WE DON’T WANT TO MAKE THIS ISSUE MORE EMOTIVE.
AND WE DON’T WANT TO TRICK PEOPLE.
WE JUST WANT TO LET PEOPLE MAKE UP THEIR OWN MINDS.
3. IT’S HARD TO MAKE A JUDGEMENT ON SOMETHING
WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE THE FULL STORY.
4. FOR FORTY YEARS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TOLD
A LOT OF BAD STUFF ABOUT DRUGS.
BUT THEY HAVEN’T BEEN GIVEN THE FULL STORY.
THAT THE WAR ON DRUGS HAS BEEN A TRILLION DOLLAR FAILURE
THAT MOST ILLEGAL DRUGS CAUSE LESS HARM THAN ALCOHOL
AND TOBACCO
THAT DECRIMINALISATION HAS BEEN A SUCCESS IN NEARLY
EVERY COUNTRY WHERE IT’S HAPPENED
THAT IN SPITE OF ALL PROHIBITION ATTEMPTS,
200 MILLION PEOPLE TAKE ILLEGAL DRUGS EVERY YEAR
5. THIS CAMPAIGN IS ABOUT SHIFTING THE CONVERSATION
FROM LEGALISING DRUGS, TO LEGALISING FACTS.
AND MAKING PEOPLE DISCOVER THE TRUTH FOR THEMSELVES.
6. ILLEGAL DRUGS CAUSE 250,000 DEATHS EVERY YEAR
TOBACCO CAUSES 6 MILLION DEATHS
Approximate figures, World Health Organiation
7. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT ECSTASY HARMS THE BRAIN
Harvard Medical Review
8. 57,449 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED IN DRUG-RELATED
VIOLENCE IN MEXICO BETWEEN 2006 AND 2012.
12,793 WERE KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN DURING THE SAME PERIOD.
Offical government figures
9. IN 2001, PORTUGAL OFFICIALLY ABOLISHED ALL CRIMINAL
PENALTIES FOR PERSONAL POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA,
COCAINE, HEROIN AND METHAMPHETAMINE.
IN THE FIVE YEARS FOLLOWING, DRUG USE AMONG
12 TO 15-YEAR-OLDS FELL FROM 14.1% TO 10.6%.
CATO Institute
10. IN SPITE OF ALL PROHIBITION ATTEMPTS,
200 MILLION PEOPLE TAKE ILLEGAL DRUGS EVERY YEAR
Lancet
11. DRUG-RELATED DEATHS IN ENGLAND AND WALES
COCAINE 575
AMPHETAMINE 384
ECSTASY 227
OPIATES 4,976
ALCOHOL 200,000 (APPROX)
TOBACCO 500,000 (APPROX)
2000 to 2004, The Office of National Statistics
12.
13.
14. THIS CAMPAIGN IS ABOUT HOW YOU CAN’T MAKE A JUDGEMENT
ON SOMETHING WITHOUT ALL THE INFORMATION.
15. OUR IDEA IS PAINFULLY SIMPLE
IT ISN’T ABOUT BEING TOO CLEVER.
IT’S NOT ABOUT JUMPING ON THE LATEST SOCIAL MEDIA FAD.
WE DON’T WANT TO MAKE THIS ISSUE MORE EMOTIVE.
AND WE DON’T WANT TO TRICK PEOPLE.
WE JUST WANT TO LET PEOPLE MAKE UP THEIR OWN MINDS.
