City Desk

D.C. Government to Reach Teens With Anti-Pot Zombies

Posted by Will Sommer on May. 2, 2013 at 4:12 pm

Fake Weed + U = Zombie

Don’t smoke synthetic marijuana, kiddos: It’ll turn you into a flesh-craving beast. That’s the message of K2 Zombie DC, a new Department of Health ad campaign aimed at keeping young people off “fake” marijuana.

The campaign’s material stress what a downer synthetic marijuana makes its users—proms are ruined repeatedly by toking dates, while above, a carefree night in Chinatown turns ugly when a zombie arrives. The zombie apocalypse theme continues with a “zombie first aid kit” and a list of anti-drug prevention centers meant to “prevent and reverse the transformation of a K2 Zombie.”

But this campaign’s hipness isn’t exhausted yet. A poll called “In Your Hood” asks teens how they’ve encountered synthetic marijuana in their hood, while a page for parents shows a snarling zombie and asks, “What are your kids hiding from you?”

Unfortunately for vigilant parents, though, it’s still easy to be a K2 Zombie. A Fox 5 investigation last week found that the drug could be purchased at several D.C. area convenience stores.