NSW government launches Stoner Sloth campaign to discourage teenagers from smoking cannabis

A stoned sloth has been chosen by the NSW government as the face of an online campaign launched to deter youngsters from smoking cannabis. The #StonerSloth campaign has received a lot of popularity on the social media but at the same time has been subjected to ridicule for its hilarious disposition.

The NSW government has started the Stoner Sloth campaign along with St Vincent's Alcohol and Drug Information Service over the weekend and it has been trending at number one on Twitter Australia on Saturday.

However, the campaign has generated hilarious response from the public. Many have also called the advertisement to be “an early Christmas present.”

Besides its own website at www.stonersloth.com.au the campaign also has its own Facebook and Tumblr, page which feature gifs, images and videos that urges teens to quit cannabis.

The first video clip shows a human-sized sloth, Delilha, falling asleep in classroom and exams. A tagline that says, “When you realise you should have hit the books and not the bong," accompanies the clip. The second clip features sloth Jason who finds it difficult to distinguish between salt and salad on the dinner table. "Stoned at dinner and the struggle is all too real" is the tagline for the second clip. The third clip with the tagline "TFW [the feeling when] you realise you shouldn't have smoked up,” shows a sloth who is very high at a party.

According to the ABC, the Department of Premier and Cabinet said that the campaign mainly targets young people and has been designed to reach out to them before cannabis becomes a big issue.

"The 'stoner sloth' public awareness campaign has been designed to encourage positive behaviours in young people before bad habits start, and motivate discontinued use of cannabis before they become dependent," it said in a statement. "The campaign is designed to appeal to, and be 'shareable' among, teenagers who are some of the most vulnerable to cannabis use."

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