Controversial Super Bowl Ad on Heroin Addiction

Last Sunday during Super Bowl XLIX, a commercial about heroin addiction and overdoses aired in St. Louis. The commercial, sponsored by The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (NCADA), has since been circulating the internet and causing a bit of controversy.

The NCADA made the commercial to raise awareness on heroin and opioid addiction. The commercial was a video of a young man taking drugs and overdosing in his bedroom while his mother is just downstairs. His mother then runs upstairs and finds him unconscious on his bed. This is all going on while an upbeat jingle with lyrics like “So you’re jonesing real bad, now you need some more ” and “You OD’ed and now you’re dying ” played in the background. To watch the full video, click here.

People took two sides with their opinions on this commercial- they either loved it or hated it. Those who loved it thought that it was just what was needed to bring attention and awareness to the growing heroin epidemic. They thought that it would open people’s eyes to this problem and they would step up to help prevent overdoses.

On the other hand, many people were displeased with the commercial. This group thought that the commercial was insensitive to those who had a drug problem or knew someone who passed away due to an overdose. They felt the upbeat music was not appropriate with the tragic situation.

The NCADA sticks by their decision to run the commercial despite controversy.