In the past, Melbourne rapper 360 has been very open on social media about his battle with addiction. On Facebook over the weekend, Sixty revealed that his experiences with ice over the years were some of the most trying times, and seeing the Victorian government's anti-ice television campaigns has often only made him want to use again.
"Out of all the drugs out there, there is one that is leagues ahead of every other drug in every way and that is ICE. It's the MOST addictive by far," he said, adding that it's "the only drug that [he'll] still get cravings for" despite primarily being addicted to opiates over two years ago. 360 also explained that government funded anti-ice campaigns are "fucking terrible" because "simply showing a picture of a pipe will have every addict itching".
Sixty is likely referring to a 2014 ad campaign running with the slogan "What Are You Doing On Ice?" which pictured smoking implements and people using in their cars. 360 added that even just looking at a glass pipe would set off users, guaranteeing that the ad would have caused addicts to go and score.
Following this, Melbourne community agency TaskForce who often deal with the fallout of anti-drug campaigns, have backed up 360's claims. Their CEO Raymond Blessing said most heavy ice users feel vilified by government ads, and as Sixty mentioned, complained about wanting to use again after seeing the ads.
"It certainly doesn't appear to have any positive aspect, it just seems to create more of an issue for them about initiating cravings or causing that kind of activity in their mind," Blessing said.
The Victorian Department of Health and Human Services, have defended their ads, which they say have not screened since 2014, and successfully met their objective in raising awareness about the harms associated with the drug ice among young Victorians.
360 also expressed concern over how attainable the drug is nowadays, mentioning that it's easier to find ice than weed in rural towns. "I really do love this country but the effect ice is having on it is very noticeable and scares the shit out of me," he said.
It's not the first time Sixty has been seen doing what he can for those with drug issues, posting regularly on social media and interacting with fans about his and their problems. He also this year founded The 180 Movement, a not-for-profit delivering programs to support people who are suffering from mental health, addiction, domestic violence and social cohesion issues. You might feel some type of way about his music, but it can't be denied 360 is one of the most important artists actively creating awareness around addiction issues in our country.
