Margaret Thatcher’s premiership was a divisive 11 years, spanning from 1979-1990. The public information films of the era highlight some of her most famous policies such as privatisation, with COI productions; Right to Buy (1984), Gym (1990), and Electricity Privatisation - Breakfast (1990). Thatcher’s government saw high unemployment rates which led to social unrest including increased drug use nationwide. Anti-drug public information films were rare before 1980, but with heroin use on the rise, the government took action with Heroin Screws You Up (1985-86).

 

This campaign links to one of the most prominent stories of the 1980s in the UK and worldwide, the discovery of HIV/AIDS. The government put COI to work again, with the creation of Monolith (1987). They used the anti-drug campaign PIFs to show that needle sharing was linked to HIV/AIDS transmission. The terrifying PIF Don’t Inject AIDS, is one of the examples.Overall the government spent five million promoting the link between needle sharing and transmission. PIFs tell the story of the government’s priorities, and issues of the period. Thatcher’s period can be summarised by high spending on health campaigns over her own priorities for government, a necessary step to protect the population.