ST. LOUIS – It’s a powerful message, shared in just sixty seconds.
Some local kids will star in a Super Bowl commercial this weekend, and the goal is to get families talking about tough issues.
The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (NCADA) produces a local PSA that runs during the Super Bowl each. For 2018, the commercial was released along with a new campaign, “Talk About It.”
Unlike the NCADA’s previous spots, which were dark and shocking, “Talk About It” takes a lighter tone with young children and families. It promotes conversation between kids and parents, to address substance abuse, addiction, and opioid issues early.
“We’ve intentionally gone in a very, very different direction,” said Howard Weissman, Executive Director of NCADA. “We don’t want people talking about the ad, we want people talking to each other.”
NCADA debuted the commercial during a screening at Rockwood Summit High School. The school district partners with the organization on several projects, including this year when some students were featured in the PSA.
Molly Brimm is a seventh grader in the Rockwood School District. She came to watch the PSA with her mother, who works at NCADA.
“I thought it was good, it explained a good lesson,” she said. “Not to do drugs and to help your kids and tell them not to do it.”
“I think talking to the kids early and often is something that we practiced in our house,” adds Molly’s mother, Libby. “It can be awkward at times, but there are a lot of awkward parenting moments… So I think because we’ve had the discussions at such a young age, I also have a high schooler, it’s much easier to talk about it with them because it’s not the first conversation we’ve had.”
NCADA says the PSA will run locally, and air near the end of Super Bowl halftime Sunday.
