TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- In a sincere attempt to provide a positive, structured outlet for teenagers over the summer vacation, the Changhua County government late last month announced a summer youth anti-drug/anti-vice program with the unintentionally ironic slogan "Let's Get High," leading some Westerners on social media to snicker.

The Changhua County Government on June 28 announced that in order to "give young people a healthy and happy growth experience it will launch the "Rock Youth - Let's Get High" Summer Protection Youth Program. Deputy County Executive Lin Ming-yu (林明裕) said that in addition to inviting musicians to perform during the event, he would like to remind children to not smoke, drink alcohol, or do drugs to enable Changhua's youth to study and grow up in a safe and secure environment.

Lin said that in addition to a youth concert, the event will also feature basketball games, free viewing of FIBA World Cup basketball qualifier matches, famous basketball teams from Japan and Korea, and the top 10 high school basketball teams in Taiwan. There will also be a series of children's art festivals to enable them to learn more about theater and art.

On July 4, the announcement was posted on the Taiwan subreddit of the social media site Reddit for the irony of the slogan, as the phrase "get high" is usually associated with smoking marijuana or other mind-altering drugs. However, one Reddit user suggested that the use of the English word "high" might have been derived from the Chinglish phrase "high 起來," which roughly translated means "have fun together," while the Taiwanese street slang for getting high from drugs would be 飛 (fly).

In the photo below, children can be seen holding signs in English which read, "Yes I Do," which would seem to contradict the "Just Say No" anti-drug slogan made famous by Nancy Reagan in the early 1980s. Based on the photos, it appears that the Changhua campaign is directed at a long list of drugs and vices such as drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, chewing betel nut, violence, and prostitution.



Adults and children holding signs against drugs and other societal ills. (Photo from Changhua County government)

The county government announcement said that as the summer vacation has started, young people have no homework or other school-related pressures to occupy them, therefore they are more vulnerable to wander into inappropriate places or be tempted to commit crimes. According to the statement, children could wander late at night, hang out at internet cafes, get involved in prostitution, gamble, and commit violent acts or even murder.

The county government said that it is launching the program in cooperation with the central government to raise awareness among adolescents of ways to protect themselves and how to engage in appropriate leisure activities. The government's three main axes of the program are to "purify the environment in which young people grow up in," "protect young people," and "expand crime prevention and publicity."



(Photo from Changhua County government)

The government program will focus on "preventing children from committing crimes and being victims of crimes," "avoiding the sexual exploitation of children," and "providing a guide to safely seeking employment." It is hoped through diversified promotion methods implemented before summer vacation, children will learn to stay away from hazards so as to prevent deviant behavior.

The Changhua County Social Affairs Office will host the "Youth Rock Music Festival" on August 10 with the hope that young people will step away from their computer screens and learn to express their youthful vitality through music. The county government hopes that its series of youth activities will provide a healthy and safe venue for teenagers to grow as individuals.



(Photo from Changhua County government)