«Let's smoke a joint! Mildeca's new SHOCK campaign

Missed it? Newsweed is here to remind you!

From August 18 to September 7, the French Interministerial Mission for the Fight against Drugs and Addictive Behavior (MILDECA) rolled out a new national campaign designed to address one of France's most sensitive public health issues: drug abuse. cannabis use by young people.

Conceived with agency Madame Bovary and directed by Julien Gaspar-Olivieri, this campaign marks a first for MILDECA, which this time relies on behavioral science to build its prevention message. Tested in advance, the scenarios are based on emotion, repetition and the staging of extremely authentic life situations, to appeal directly to teenagers and young adults.

While official data confirm that cannabis use among minors has been declining for more than ten years, it remains high in comparison with the rest of Europe, despite an French legislation among the strictest on the continent. For the very young, the risks remain major and greater than for adults: dependency, physical and psychological disorders, difficulties at school and social isolation.

In addition, a recent OFDT study revealed a particularly marked decline in the dangerousness of cannabis.

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Three short films, one clear message

The centerpiece of the campaign is a series of three 30-second video spots broadcast in youth media. Each film illustrates ordinary situations - a group of friends, a couple, a sports team - before showing how cannabis consumption can alter these dynamics and trigger harmful effects, while reminding viewers that its use remains illegal in France.

According to MILDECA, this educational approach also responds to a brutal reality: «In 20 years, the THC concentration in cannabis has quadrupled. [editor's note: this is obviously not true]. The message is clear: today's cannabis is more potent and its effects on the developing brain are more immediate and potentially damaging.»

In a symbolic gesture, funding for the campaign comes from criminal assets seized from drug traffickers, transforming illicit profits into prevention tools.

We have no doubt that it will have the same impact as the previous campaign.« Behind the smoke » !