Drunk driving is an issue that has affected the U.S. for decades, but major strides to eradicate it were made during the course of the 20th century. Due to recent legalization of marijuana, drug-impaired driving has become an issue of increasing concern. There is a lack of awareness and education about the effects of ‘stoned’ driving among consumers, mainly due to the fact that educational messaging is delivered via traditional media, which is not relevant for our target, Millennials.

The challenge was to increase awareness about the dangers of stoned driving.

The objective was to find a way to reach these consumers with a relevant and simple message and save lives.

There were several data points that drove the development of this initiative.

• Traditional media is not consumed at high rates by Millennials.

• Cannabis consumption acutely impairs driving skills, including cognition and psychomotor performance.

• Marijuana consumers are skeptical about the dangers of driving under the influence of marijuana.

• Marijuana is still illegal in many states; as a result,mass media was not a viable medium.

This resulted in the rolling paper solution, which was referred to as ‘dope’ among smokers, who enjoyed and agreed with the message.

Surprisingly, business owners also saw the product as an opportunity to create positive news around their industry by helping to achieve more responsible consumption.

Results from this initiative will ultimately be measured in fewer marijuana related accidents. Since this work launched just a month ago, results won’t be available for some time and will be difficult to separate from other activity with the same objective.

First, we looked for official sources that could quantitatively validate traffic accidents trends. In addition, we separated alcohol related accidents from the marijuana related accidents.

After validating the increasing trend of smoking and driving, we looked for qualitative research.

First, we discovered that marijuana consumers are skeptical about the dangers of driving under the influence of marijuana.

However, there is also significant and undisputed research that cannabis consumption acutely impairs driving skills, including cognition and psychomotor performance. Therefore, driving while under the influence of marijuana is not recommended. In simpler words: “Pot slows your reactions. Don’t smoke and drive.”

Furthermore, because marijuana is still illegal in many states, mass media was not a viable medium. Therefore, we needed to look for highly targeted and contextual opportunities in which to help save lives.

Understanding the sensitivity that embodies this topic, we aimed to utilize data that was not polarized on any of the sides of the debate. This is why unbiased information obtained from the Census was fundamental. Regardless or not if marijuana was the direct cause of traffic accidents, there has been an increase in marijuana related accidents. This is an indisputable fact.

In addition, we aimed to depart from messaging that seem judgmental or that could ignite controversy. Trying to find a common ground, we looked within the data and studies. What would be that ‘one point’ that both parts of the debate would agree on?

The result: Marijuana impacts your psychomotor skills. Based on that premise, messages like, “Pot slows your reactions. Don’t smoke and drive”, seem to be safe for all audiences.

Once the message was distilled, we needed to choose our communication medium wisely. Different opinion polls demonstrated that Millennials don’t trust traditional media or advertising, and are looking for the opinions of their friends, parents, and experts before making decisions. Reinforcing that fact, Ipsos’ highlighted that to reach Millennials, we need to understand the combination of time, trust and memorability. We needed to present the message in the right time, from a trusted source in a manner that could be easily remembered. This is how the idea of printing on rolling papers was born.