Earlier today my attention was brought to an advertising campaign that I can only describe as sickening. Mersey Care NHS Trust have launched this wide campaign with the aim of "Getting more drug users in treatment and/or detox" and described the method used as "An innovative call for action". Sadly, they have only succeeded in further ostracizing an element of our society that already felt excluded and vulnerable.
Well I have news for you, Mr Bob Dale, service manager at Mersey Care NHS Trust addiction services. We are not in the dark ages. Drug users are not dirty, as your campaign portrays us to be. We are human beings, with feeling's and rights, may I add. How can you get it so wrong? How much did this atrocity cost the tax payer? This abomination only goes to highlight the failings of NHS substance misuse services in this Country. We have such a long way to go.
Mr Bob Dale, you do not deserve the position you hold and should do the honourable thing and resign.
28 comments:
Glad you've got this up here Kev. Its a thoughtless and prejudicial way to talk about people. I've always hated the "dirty vs clean" language that people use around drugs.
The danger is of course that the chances of "dirty drug addicts" getting jobs and homes and sorting their lives out is minimised by this sort of nastiness. Still, keeps the treatment figures up I guess. And fast detox is such a great intervention after all.....
has all the hall marks of being thought up by some PR/marketing execs who don't understand the issues and just like a jazzy poster concept. Thats no excuse for it getting passed of course.
When I first heard about this I thought it was a joke. I was soon informed that it was not and that service user groups around the country were up in arms. As are practitioners I know.
This campaign is one of the worst things I have seen in this field. It reflects a minimal understanding of what is required to help people find recovery from addiction.
The NHS Trust concerned needs to move swiftly to terminate the campaign and walk away quietly. The alternative is extreme embarrassment.
We all accept that mistakes can be made, sometimes very expensive mistakes. But such mistakes can be corrected.
Kev, come to Liverpool and see for yourself the farce that is 47 different treatment services competing for clients. Theres a tiny few that offer anything substantial. The Spider and Sharp being the cream of the crop. Who did Merseycare liaise or consult with when they developed this campaign? Its just all part of the madness culture up here lad. Liverpool 08 more like Liverpool..too little, too late!
Kev,
First of all many thanks for bringing this appalling piece of tabloid like, sensation seeking, advertising to our notice.
Not only does it display a complete lack of sensitivity,by those who dreamt it up and by those who approved it, there is a strong indication that those in charge of Mersyside's drug treatment services are totally ignorant of the nature of addiction; it is therefore questionable if they are qualified for the highly sensitive, influential and, resonsible positions they hold.
Unfortunately their lack of sensitivity, combined with their ignorance makes it doubtful that they will have the grace to remove such an offensive and patronising piece of rubbish, but let's do all we can into shaming them to do so. Perhaps a quiet word from Paul Hayes, who has recently displayed an interest in recovery, could persuade the ignorant oafs involved, of the error of their ways.
If I were a drug user in Liverpool, I would be seeking an opportunity to shake hands with the windpipes of those irresponsible enough, to even consider that promotions of this nature would encourage more people to seek treatment.
I couldn't believe how disgusting that ad campaign is. What century are these people in? And what about some respect?
Kev, good for you for doing your bit to raise awareness of this totally insensitive and ridiculous campaign. If it wasn't so hurtful it would be funny.
Wow I thought this was some sort of joke when I saw the photo of the poster!
I enjoy reading your blog, keep up the good work.
Wadi
Are DAAT commissioners or Merseycare themselves accountable for how much has been spent? If so, how would one get to find out exactly how much has been spent on this campaign?
Bobbi Jo
Thankyou all for your comments and support,
kev
I'm not sure who is accountable nor what exactly has been spent on this campaign. What I do know is that it's time we all started to get some answers to these questions and more besides.
Thanks for raising this Bobbi Jo
I think it about time that our commissiionaire are doing what the NTA ask of them & putting service users in post has service user delopment office or CO-ORDs which ever is used in your area, I do know Liverpool have been one of the areas that have complied with the NTA, but to think what they have paid for this campain then that could of been another post or 2, w here some one could of been doing some good, instead of the crap waist of funs of campains that cause locals to even think worse of addicts that they have before surely this was not thouht about properly and if was well it beggers belive. how about give some pride back to those whom are the topic of all our work & invest in the service user to promote good practice not crap campains that do more harm that=n good.
I am a service user on the wirral and when we saw this we and myself were so shocked we couldn,t believe what we were seeing. As for Merseycare, i think we should of been consulted as we are still Merseyside. There is enough stigmatisation we have to come up against without this kind of nonesense, this is just putting more fuel to the fire, we who are recovering don,t want to see this on our buses and phone boxes. this is terrible and should be took down imedietly. thankyou Kev we on the wirral thought we were alone on this, but we are wondering who they did consult before going ahead with this rediculous campaign or what ever it is?
Hi Kelly, thanks for your comment and your question. I'm not from the area and so don't know who was consulted, if anybody. What I would appreciate is anyone in merseyside asking question's and posting whatever they find on my blog.
Hopefully we can get to the bottom of this.......
Im not a tiny bit interested in politics or campaigning myself, but who could we alert to the fact that there are people who arent happy and we want something doing about it? Somewhere someone must be able to take this up? How many people could have gone into a proper treatment centre with all the money it cost to put this farce into effect? My auntie saw it in a phone box by her flat today. Even she said its disgusting and shes 72. Isnt it taxpayers money? Is Merseycare part of the NHS? Maybe theres a goverment minster someone could contact?
REPLY TO ANON:
Merseycare is part of the NHS and therefore we could assume this was taxpayers money used to fund this campaign.
If you would like to complain I'd start with Merseycare NHS complaints department and your local councillor, who due to the local feeling about this "farce" should take your case up.
Thankyou for your comments.
Both the DAAT and Merseycare have been made aware of the concerns that have been raised here.
J. noted earlier today that the DAAT and Merseycare have been made aware of the concerns raised here. May we invite Bob Dale or perhaps another representative of these organisations to respond at this point?
Hi Kev,
Maybe if you had called a helpnumber like this when you first started taking drugs you wouldnt have spent 15 years addicted to various different substances, including amphetamine, heroin and crack cocaine! Lets start totting up exactly how much you have cost the taxpayer over those years.
Merseycare is an award winning trust, and has serviced drug users for many many years.It has a number of service user groups who it regulary meets with to discuss ways it can be improved.
Instead of slamming the advertising campaign, why do you suggest a low cost way of reaching the drug addicted of Liverpool?
Can I suggest you research a subject before you slam particular individuals such as Bob Dale? He has dedicated his life to helping people like you who have become addicted to drugs, and this marketing campaign was not single-handedly designed by him.
I point you here:
"a focus group from the Kevin White Unit, a local inpatient detox unit, had chosen the name and theme of the campaign and suggested the advertising sites. He had then previewed the campaign at an event with a lot of drug and alcohol treatment services in the area, and had made a point of gaining approval from the NTA's regional representative."
How can you wish upon someone you don't know who works so hard to prevent people from ending up in your position to resign?
Maybe we should offer no help or money to drug dealers at all - would that solve the problem or do you have other constructive solutions to stamping out drug addicts?
Reply to Anon-
You obviously haven't understood what I've written, let me simplify it for you. It's not the helpline I disagree with, it's the method used to advertise it.
As for you saying, quote "Maybe if you had called a helpnumber like this when you first started taking drugs you wouldnt have spent 15 years addicted to various different substances, including amphetamine, heroin and crack cocaine! Lets start totting up exactly how much you have cost the taxpayer over those years."
What makes you think I didn't seek help when I first realised I had a problem? You idiot.
Far from attracting drug users into treatment this campaign is further alienating an already vulnerable and ostracised group of people, pushing them away from seeking help. This is stereotyping at it's worst.
But why are they vulnerable and ostracised? They've put themselves in such situations. They're breaking the law...
I don't think drug users are dirty, but it destroys lives (not just the user themselves, but family, friends etc - which I'm sure you're aware of). I've seen it first hand.
Schemes like this are trying to help. It's an advertising campaign and may have helped some people. At least they're doing something to help people, rather than letting them rot in a gutter.
I suggest you contact the people involved with the campaign and complain rather than slagging people off in the public domain.
Firstly, I am not an idiot, I am media specialist and this campaign has done its job, in so far as attracting people’s attention, just look at the comments on this blog, all publicity is good publicity!
Secondly, as for your expectation that the campaign would alienate users, you have been proved wrong as the helpline has had a “steady response from new treatment clients”.
So, the already vulnerable and ostracised group of people, have not been pushed away from seeking help.
I’m sure that the service users from the focus group at the Kevin White Unit, who chose the name, theme of the campaign and suggested the advertising sites would not think it was stereotyping at it's worst.
Whats the point of moaning and whinging, Kev? I think suggestions and constructive criticism of how it could be designed in future would be a better use of your resources and time.
I’ve recently had a number of comments about my blog titled, ‘Drug users are not dirty’, stating that I was wrong to have said what I did. I feel it’s important that I clarify my position.
Firstly, there are many reasons why people become addicted, and one of the underlying characteristics of addiction is a loss of control, so I don’t agree with the statement that drug users have ‘put themselves in such situations’. Nobody sets out to become addicted. This suggests a lack of understanding of addiction, and the factors that underlie addictive behaviours?!
One of my main concerns about this campaign is the fact that drug users are being labeled as dirty – which increases prejudice towards them and discourages them from seeking help within the community –as a result they become further isolated and less likely to attempt to address their substance use problems. A key component of recovery from addiction is being accepted by society as ‘normal’ – how is this expected to happen when such adverse labeling and prejudice occurs??
I am 100% supportive of campaigns that aim to encourage drug users into treatment. However, there are ways and means of going about this that do not have the detrimental impact that campaigns, such as this, can have on 1) public opinion of drug users 2) drug users’ opinions of themselves, and 3) the loved ones of drug users (who after seeing this campaign may view addiction as ‘simple’ to overcome – like washing your clothes –which could lead to the assumption that their loved ones don’t want to break free from their addiction – which is often not the case).
Today was the first time that I have heard anyone defending this campaign – and it is good to hear others points of view. I would be very interested in finding out some more information about this campaign’s planning and success, i.e.
• How involved were the Kevin White Unit in the development – e.g. were they consulted with a number of campaign themes, was the campaign unanimously voted for etc? How many users/ex-users were involved?
• Which other groups were consulted about the campaign?
• What feedback has there been in Liverpool about the campaign? Particularly from service user groups and family support groups?
• It would be interesting to hear the opinions of people who are responding to the campaign – i.e. what are their expectations of ‘fast-track’ treatment?
• How much did the campaign cost?
One of the respondents claimed that success was shown by phone calls being made to helpline. I’m afraid this is a very naïve view – you need to do a more serious piece of research than this to justify success.
I have written this blog (in the public domain) to enable those involved in this campaign to justify their actions in response to other’s points of view. As you can see from the blog, people (not just myself) have been far from pleased with the nature of the campaign and believe that the money could have been put to better use to encourage people into treatment without encouraging prejudice and further harm to them.
When I was first sent the campaign via email it had Bob Dale’s name upfront on the first slide of the presentation, stating that he is the service manager. I understand that the campaign wasn’t single-handedly designed by him, but, being the manager he has responsibility for this campaign. When I tried to get into the website offered on the campaign it repeatedly brought up error messages. Every time I have tried to enter this page to find out more details I have been unable to (as have others).
Finally, I am not a media specialist but I know about addiction. This campaign is aimed at real people with real feelings, and comments such as ‘all publicity is good publicity’ just shows what some people really care about! Certainly not the adverse affect this campaign will have on a lot of people’s feelings and future.
I want to remind readers that I am new to this, and at times my emotions may run away with me! I should not have responded with the word idiot in a previous blog. However, even two weeks later I am still disturbed by the nature of this campaign as I personally feel that it is derogatory and portrays overcoming addiction in a very unrealistic light – which is setting drug users up for failure (again).
Thank you all for your comments. In the space of an hour yesterday I received 4 comments from 3 people, of which 2 people were anonymous, all in opposition to my blog posting. A question, which areas are those who commented from? Are you linked at all?
If you would like me to reply individually, please e-mail me through my blog. Please note that any comments with offensive language will not be published!!
I want to remind readers that I am new to this, and at times my emotions may run away with me! I should not have responded with the word idiot in a previous blog.
Kev, you really don't need to apologise. This is your blog, your outlet and you have the right to freedom of speech!
This is an interesting blog post to follow because from a creative stand point the concept is actually quite clever... but it's just not the right concept for such a sensitive subject.
That being said, it's only after knowing an addict well and seeing what a struggle it is for someone to come to terms with addiction that I would be more sensitive to the subject myself. Prior to that I had very different opinions.
Hi Nathan,
When you say it's not the right concept for such a sensitive subject. Do you mean my blog or the advertising campaign?!
Thanks for your view's
@Kev: I mean that it clearly wasn't the right concept for the advertising campaign. :)
lol, thanks Nathan
As a senior prac. in a busy London drug service I've been telling my clients not to use the clean/dirty concept for years; "No, you don't want to get clean, I can see you already are, you mean you want to get drug-free" etc. Well done.
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