The Ad Council cautions against driving while high in latest PSAs

As cannabis use gets more mainstream (and legal) in the States, a new campaign from the Ad Council and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) aims to caution drivers about driving while high by highlighting the silly mistakes you can make while toasted. 

The first in a series of PSAs created by Reprise Digital compares drugged driving to doing something lethal like trying to slice the top off a pineapple at high speed (a guy cuts off the cord of his pendant kitchen lamp, although it could have been so much worse). The protagonist's girlfriend then asks him to go and get some tacos, but he declines, saying "Nope, I'm high" and says he'll order in instead. The film ends with the tagline "If you feel different, you drive different."

“Our research showed that while young adults consciously avoid decisions that unnecessarily put their future at risk, many don't associate a risk with driving while high,” says Joselle Galis, SVP strategy, Reprise Digital, in a statement. “With this campaign we aim to change that perception by demonstrating that driving high isn’t worth the risk, and doing so in an entertaining way that avoids antiquated stoner stereotypes. This campaign isn't about judgment. It's about treating our audience with respect, humor, and empathy.”

According to NHTSA’s most recent national roadside survey, between 2007-2013 there was a 48 percent increase in weekend nighttime drivers who tested positive for a form of cannabis. Although several states have legalized marijuana use, driving when impaired by any substance remains illegal in all 50 states and in Washington, D.C.

The creative will appear nationwide in donated media in TV, radio, outdoor, print and digital formats.