Much has been made of the promotion of drug, cigarette, and alcohol use in the media. People have blamed television shows, movies, music, and video games for years, claiming they corrupt children or at the least put the idea in their heads. However, there’s another industry that does far more to normalize the idea of substance use and is particularly aimed at young people – retail. From clothing to gag gifts to tchotchkes (small decorative objects or trinkets), a trip to your local mall or an online search will reveal a treasure trove of things related to drug culture.
A quick trip to the website for Spencer’s, a retailer that sells gag gifts and novelty items, reveals references to drug use on the landing page – a pair of socks decorated with marijuana leaves. Dig a little deeper, and you’ll find all manner of drinking accessories. There are also black lights, burners, and incense, which are associated with marijuana use. One pool float is shaped like a margarita, and another looks like a game of beer pong. “Birthday supplies” yields a collection of drinkware and a flask. There’s an entire alcohol-related section, with beer bongs, beer dispensing helmets, and drinking games. The dorm room page, which presumably is mostly aimed at college-age students who are largely under 21, has a variety of wine glasses, beer mugs, and shot glasses.
It’s not just a novelty store, either. There are clothing retailers, some fairly high end, that sell drug and alcohol-related shirts and accessories. In 2013, the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids started a petition for Urban Outfitters to stop selling pint glasses, flasks and shot glasses that were made to look like prescription pill bottles. In 2016, Nordstrom caved to pressure to pull a line from the Italian fashion brand Moschino that made clothing and accessories to look like medicine bottles, including a $950 shoulder bag. Moschino calls the line cheeky, insisting that it’s all in fun and not a promotion of prescription drug abuse. Critics say they’re glamorizing addiction.
Some clothing brands are so associated with drugs that the police keep a special eye out for people wearing them. Aperture, a company that makes snowboards and related clothing, sell hats with a stash compartment, which are frequently used to hide drugs. DGK Clothing, which stands for Dirty Ghetto Kids, is popular among the stoner culture and includes a line of T-shirts called High Times, one of which pictures the various breeds of the cannabis plant. The brand Seedless sells shorts with sewn-in pouches, which police say can be used to hide not only drugs but weapons like small guns or knives.
Some people argue that most of these things are meant all in good fun, but it can send a dangerous message to children. Research shows that kids who own clothes or merchandise that carries alcohol branding are more attracted to alcohol and are more likely to start drinking early, and drink more often.
If you or a loved one need help with quitting drugs or alcohol, consider Asana Recovery. We offer medical detox, along with both residential and outpatient programs, and you’ll be supervised by a highly trained staff of medical professionals, counselors, and therapists. Call us any time at (949) 438-4504 to get started.
