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'Stoner Sloth' Aims To Curb Youth Marijuana Use In NSW

Government Targets Marijuana Use With Giant 'Stoner Sloth'
Marijuana plants which are grown for medicinal purposes are pictured in a clandestine greenhouse at a house in Mexico City on November 30, 2015. Mexico will embark in January on a national debate on overhauling its marijuana laws, the government said Wednesday, weeks after the Supreme Court opened the door to legalizing pot. AFP PHOTO/ Yuri CORTEZ / AFP / YURI CORTEZ (Photo credit should read YURI CORTEZ/AFP/Getty Images)
YURI CORTEZ via Getty Images
Marijuana plants which are grown for medicinal purposes are pictured in a clandestine greenhouse at a house in Mexico City on November 30, 2015. Mexico will embark in January on a national debate on overhauling its marijuana laws, the government said Wednesday, weeks after the Supreme Court opened the door to legalizing pot. AFP PHOTO/ Yuri CORTEZ / AFP / YURI CORTEZ (Photo credit should read YURI CORTEZ/AFP/Getty Images)

The NSW Government has taken aim at young people using marijuana, launching a new campaign aimed at highlighting the potential downsides of the drug.

Titled "Stoner Sloth", the marketing effort features a number of GIFs and videos showing a human-sized sloth in various scenarios illustrating what could happen when a young person is affected by marijuana.

The videos are accompanied by youth-oriented taglines like "Passing the salt…. The struggle is real", "Weed’s not exactly a performance enhancing drug" and "Life of the party… said no one ever".

The GIFs and videos are also hosted on a custom tumblr page and distributed on a dedicated Facebook page in another apparent push to appeal to young Aussies.

So far, it looks like those who have checked out the campaign are struggling to figure out whether it's real or a parody.

The local campaign especially highlights the short-term consequences of marijuana to impressionable teens.

The ads come just months after the NSW Government announced it would legalise the growing of cannabis for medicinal purposes.

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