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Slater Discusses Anti-Drug Messaging in MEL Magazine

January 12, 2022

Slater Discusses Anti-Drug Messaging in MEL Magazine

Mike Slater

While McGruff the Crime Dog’s album Smart Kids aimed to keep kids away from the temptation of drugs in 1986, an out-of-context lyric now trending in TikTok videos lends a different perspective. Michael Slater, a professor in the School of Communication, explains how “Just Say No” anti-drug messaging can give young kids the wrong ideas about drug use in MEL magazine.

“The problem is, young people are more sophisticated than many adults assume, says Michael Slater…That means overstating the harms, especially of a more common substance like marijuana, can lead kids to question the entire message of an anti-drug campaign, even when considering more dangerous drugs,” the article said.