I Learned It By Watching You! 1980s Drug PSA

"I learned it by watching you, Dad!"
The famous '80s anti-drug PSA...

What kid or teen from 1987 doesn't remember joking with their friends saying, "I learned it by watching you!" The line originated from an Anti-Drug PSA commercial sponsored by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America that aired in 1987.

If you've been following along for a while, you already know that I'm the Catholic-raised product of two teachers. No matter how much you snooped around our house, the only thing you might find were Christmas gifts in December. Shh, please don't tell my mom. Nothing exciting was hidden in our house and don't you DARE (no pun intended) try to call me out on this. I totally know!

When this anti-drug PSA first aired, we kids all had a good laugh. However, to be honest, deep down it was a bit shocking and really made me think. What did this commercial seriously mean by, "Parents who use drugs, have children who use drugs." Whose parents use drugs? Not the kids in my Catholic school classes - those parents wouldn't even let their thirteen-year-old kids see PG-13 movies! Were there really parents who smoked pot? I was so naive. 

Do you guys remember this anti-drug PSA from 1987? The boy is laying in his bed listening to headphones when the dad confronts the kid about what his mom found by snooping through the kid's things. The boy then hits him with the shocking, unforgettably dramatic line, "I learned it by watching you, Dad. I learned it by watching you!"

Do you as a parent plan on or already snoop through your kid's things? 'Fess up! If your kids are small, do you see yourself snooping through their things when they're older?