Director Darren Aronofsky is known for scaring the crap out of people on the big screen with Black Swan and Requiem For a Dream, but now he’s back doing the same thing on the small screen. Four years ago, the Montana Meth Project hired the auteur to direct a few PSAs that give a very scary and very real look at the effects of meth. Now Aronofsky is back with a few more videos aimed at keeping teens away from the drug.
Though these videos may be aimed at teens, let me tell you, these videos with their close ups of “meth mouth” (where your teeth rot from the inside out, not pleasant to see) and no holds barred scenes of the drug’s really frightening consequences, are not easy to watch no matter what age.
In 2001, methamphetamine emerged as a problem drug and even now meth is at its highest level of availability, purity and lowest cost since 2005, according to The Meth Project. Even scarier, over the last 15 years, methamphetamine abuse has become the most common reason for pregnant women to seek drug counseling, according to a 2010 article by Reuters.
While this all seems pretty bad, there has been some good news in the last year. According to a recent national survey on teen drug use done by The Partnership at Drugfree.org and MetLife Foundation meth use is on a sharp decline. The number of monthly users fell from 731,000 in 2006 to 353, 000 in 2010. The decline is most likely a result from states outlawing and restricting the sale of cold medicines and other items that contain pseudoephedrine.
Aronofosky definitely adds a little edge to the usual drug PSA. Especially when you consider the last edgy drug PSA I saw was the one about heroin with Rachael Leigh Cook where she goes crazy with a frying pan. It was pretty powerful at the time, but not nearly as emotionally gripping as these. I’m looking forward to seeing what TV stations will actually have the lady balls to show them. Anyone seen them on the air yet? Fingers crossed ABC Family decides to take a chance.
Check out a few of the ads below and the rest of the ads that Aronofsky has directed here.
[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuxpo091N6A&feature=player_embedded 425×344]
[video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZO2Rhqjuw0&feature=player_embedded 425×344]
[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5FXoEjEmNw&feature=player_embedded 425×344]
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