Chinese schools are scaring kids off drugs with psychedelic VR simulations

This is one way to put kids off drugs.

Children in southern China experienced the "side effects" of drugs, as part of a series of activities celebrating UN's International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

The kids, who donned a VR headset, were shown a video filled with psychedelic colours and swirling shapes -- which were meant to them a peek into the experience of taking some narcotics.

Here's how the experience looked:

Needless to say, the method appeared to work on many of the kids.

"I feel my body shaking...and I feel very uncomfortable," says a young boy, captured on video.

Another girl adds that she is "very scared."

Students of a school located in China's province of Meizhou, were similarly given a VR headset to "experience the dangers of drugs."

"[I guess] that's the feeling you have when you take drugs...it feels terrible," said a student.

Some Internet users were unimpressed.

"This is simply child frightening techniques," said one user on Chinese social media outlet Weibo.

While others thought it was a good idea.

"I think this makes sense...let kids experience how harmful drugs can be," another said.

For now, the VR trials on children appear to be a one-off event to celebrate the UN campaign, though Chinese officials add that VR technology will be used in rehab centres.

Patients in those centres will be shown films through VR, which are meant to inflict them with similar side effects of dizziness and fear, hence similarly putting them off drugs.

Some of the side effects of commonly abused drugs like MDMA and LSDs include hallucinations, seizures, confusion and nausea.

UPDATE: June 30, 2017, 2:12 p.m. SGT The post has been updated with more information on future plans for the VR drug demos.