SINGAPORE: This year's anti-drug campaign aims to grab attention with an edgy visual campaign that will also go digital.

The National Council Against Drug Abuse decided to use street art to reach out to the youths.

Edward Pank, Business Head of Bates Singapore, said: "What we want to do is to take images they aspire to and then disrupt that glamour by transforming these images with a very real and stark message of what prison is all about."

The campaign is focused on youths who are at risk of falling prey to drugs, particularly synthetic drugs.

Dr Loo Choon Yong, Chairman of the National Council Against Drug Abuse, said: "Synthetic drug abusers remain the largest group arrested last year. 46 percent of arrested offenders used synthetic drugs."

But the media blitz is not just limited to street art.

In addition to the traditional print medium and television, the anti-drug message will feature on blogs, instant messaging software and social network sites – digital spaces that are popular with the youths.

Dr Loo said: "We are getting this message to the young people through the medium that they normally would associate with – through the Internet, through fashion and through magazines."

Armed with technology, the council wants to blast the message that "if you play, you pay".


- CNA/so