Curious Alice

Curious Alice is a 1971 anti-drug film produced by the National Institute for Mental Health. It relates the tale of Alice in Wonderland to drug abuse, which doesn’t really require a great leap. It was aimed at 8- to 10-year-olds, and doesn’t seem all that effective in making drugs unattractive. Media Matters says,

In the 1972 publication, Drug Abuse Films, the National Coordinating Council on Drug Education (NCCDE) criticized Curious Alice for being confusing and potentially counterproductive to drug abuse education. In the report, the NCCDE, an independent organization that received funding from NIMH, evaluated scores of films for scientific accuracy and effectiveness. The review panel classified Curious Alice as “restricted”, writing that young viewers “may be intrigued by the fantasy world of drugs” and that it should only be presented with a “very skilled facilitator” in order to “probe for the drug attitudes” of an elementary school class. (In other words, teachers, don’t bother trying to use this film to get kids to stay away from drugs because it’ll require way too much extra work on your part.)

But for adults, it’s a beautifully animated hoot. (via Metafilter)