Public health expert cautions on cannabis ‘fearmongering’

EDMONTON Rather than blanket mass media with ineffective fearmongering cannabis ads, more attention should be focused on targeting nuanced messaging toward those at greatest risk of problematic use, including youth, a public health expert says.

Speaking at a research symposium in Edmonton Tuesday, University of Calgary department of community health sciences assistant professor Rebecca HainesSaah said while governments are compelled to deliver public service announcements, there is greater benefit to targeted intervention.

“I think we need to realize that these (advertisements) can maybe change attitudes and raise awareness but they don’t change substance use behaviours, in particular substance use that is problematic,” she said.

Haines-Saah said problematic substance use is multi-faceted and can be tied up with things like genetic vulnerability and social context like poverty, trauma, violence and discrimination.

Pointing to recently released ads in Manitoba as an example of what she says is simply “fearmongering,” Haines-Saah said that while some of her colleagues believe shock ads are effective, she finds them unethical. She adds that there is little evidence that messages based on fear actually result in changed behavioural outcomes.

“Most people are scared and are saying that this is a negative thing,” she said.

“I understand why people are afraid, because we have grown up with the message that drugs are bad and cannabis is bad.

“But we wouldn’t be making this change if we didn’t have evidence to support the fact that it’s not going to be mass hysteria, or a weed zombie apocalypse.”

She said there would be greater benefit to increased dialogue about the cannabis habits of youth and following a message like “not too much, not too often and only in safe contexts.”