17 Public Service Announcements That Gave Us Nightmares
These terrifying PSAs burned themselves into our childhood memories — and not in a good way.
- Chris Graciano
- 4 min read
Public service announcements were meant to teach, warn, or save. However, a few of them crossed the line into horror. With creepy visuals and shock tactics, they haunted kids and adults long after the screen went black. Here’s a chilling look at 17 PSAs that were more nightmare fuel than life lessons.
1. “This Is Your Brain on Drugs” (1987)
cyclonebill on Wikimedia Commons
A calm voice, a frying egg, and then — sizzle. This PSA made us terrified of breakfast and narcotics all in one go. Its brutal simplicity has etched itself into pop culture forever.
2. “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires” (Smokey Bear)
Wally Gobetz on Flickr
Smokey’s message was kind, but his voice and stare were oddly intense. The fear of starting a wildfire just by blinking wrong stuck with us.
3. “Reefer Madness”–Style Anti-Marijuana Ads
Luke Sheppard on Flickr
People morphing, panicking, or literally melting after taking a hit? These PSAs turned weed into a horror movie. They didn’t teach — it was all fear and drama.
4. “I Learned It by Watching You” (1987)
Monstera Production on Pexels
A teen screams at his dad about drug use, flipping the guilt back on parents. It wasn’t the yelling — it was the silence afterward that chilled us. The acting was rough, but the vibe was pure tension.
5. “If You Don’t Tell Someone…” Child Abuse PSA (UK)
Caleb Woods on Unsplash
This UK import featured a trembling voice, a darkened room, and a door creaking open. The fear was real, the threat silent, and the tension unbearable.
6. “The House Hippo” (Canada)
andres musta on Flickr
It started cute: a tiny hippo living in your house. However, the twist — warning us not to believe everything we see on TV — landed hard. That cozy lie turned into a creepy truth bomb.
7. “Don’t Put It in Your Mouth” (Canada)
AMSW Photography -Alisha Smith Watkins on Pexels
Two puppets sing a song about not eating weird stuff — sounds harmless, right? Wrong. The eyes, the voices, and the janky puppetry felt wrong in every way.
8. “Crying Indian” Litter PSA (1971)
Richard Webb on Wikimedia Commons
A tear rolls down his face as trash rains from passing cars. It’s iconic but unsettling. His haunting stare, the dramatic music — it felt like a spiritual curse was placed on all litterers.
9. “Kids and Guns Don’t Mix” (1990s)
Sam Sherratt on Wikimedia Commons
A kid finds a gun in a drawer and — boom. The ad ends with a sickening silence and a title card. Even without showing much, it hit like a truck.
10. “McGruff the Crime Dog” Anti-Drug Campaigns
Whatknot on Flickr
McGruff looked like a trench coat-wearing detective but sounded like a monster growling bedtime warnings. His gravelly voice and eerie cartoons were no comfort.
11. “Public Enemy Number One” Meth PSA (2000s)
Craig Dietrich on Flickr
Shaky cameras, sunken eyes, and scenes from drug-addled chaos — it felt like a horror short film. Meth wasn’t just bad; it was presented as pure evil.
12. “The Silent Killer” Carbon Monoxide Warning
Santeri Viinamäki on Wikimedia Commons
A peaceful scene — then lights flicker, and everything fades. It was like a ghost story disguised as a safety ad. You’d go to sleep wondering if the air was trying to kill you.
13. “Brain on Heroin” with Rachael Leigh Cook
Find Rehab Centers on Flickr
She smashed an entire kitchen in a rage while explaining what heroin does to your brain. Dishes flew, tiles cracked, and we all sat in stunned silence.
14. “Talking Dog” Weed PSA
Terrance Barksdale on Pexels
Yes, a stoner’s dog literally talks — and shames her for smoking. It was surreal and unsettling, like a fever dream wrapped in fur. Dogs are supposed to be loyal, not judgmental life coaches.
15. “Don’t Copy That Floppy” (1992)
Pixabay on Pexels
A strange, rapping computer program warns kids about software piracy. It wasn’t scary per se, but it was uncanny and weirdly intense. The vibe was a blend of “cyber-watcher meets hip-hop judge.”
16. “UK Speeding PSA – Hit the Child” (2000s)
Luke Miller on Pexels
A car driving slightly over the limit ends in a child being hit twice. Once at full speed, once at safe speed, showing the life-or-death difference.
17. “Brain After Cocaine” Rat PSA
Argv0 on Wikimedia Commons
A calm narrator shows two rats — one normal, one on cocaine. The coke rat goes berserk, hurling itself against the cage. That mental image stuck.