There have been arguments for decades about whether things like television, music, and video games can lead to violence, but these things can also impact drug and alcohol use, especially in younger people.
While it’s not necessarily clear that simply watching someone use drugs on a screen can lead to children trying them, the real problem is the glorification of substance use. One recent, wildly popular television show had a meth manufacturer as its hero. A martial-arts themed video game has an undercover cop falling in with a gang that deals drugs, and by the end of the story arc, the gang members are more sympathetic than the police. In a rap song, the singer brags about having taken 56 Xanax pills in one month.
More than $25 billion per year is spent on advertising for tobacco, alcohol, and prescription drugs. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a ban on all tobacco advertising in all media, limitations on alcohol advertising, avoiding exposure of young children to substance-related (tobacco, alcohol, prescription drugs, illegal drugs) content on television and in PG-13– and R-rated movies. They also suggest incorporating the topic of advertising and media into all substance abuse–prevention programs and implementing media education programs in the classroom.
Legal drugs like alcohol and tobacco pose perhaps the greatest threat. Both are relatively easy to obtain and are usually the first drugs teenagers try. Some experts also claim they can be gateway drugs, leading to the use of more dangerous substances.
Many ads use celebrity endorsers, humor, rock music, or attractive young models, all of which have been shown to be effective with children and adolescents. More money is spent advertising tobacco than any drug—an estimated $15 billion per year. The tobacco industry did give up television advertising in the 1960s, but beer, wine, and liquor ads are frequently featured on prime-time television.
The obvious solution is for parents to limit exposure to types of media that show drug and alcohol use. However, it’s increasingly more difficult for today’s parents to monitor what their kids are watching or listening to. With most children having smartphones, tablets, or other devices, music and television can be consumed anywhere at any time.
Not everyone is convinced that the media is part of the problem. The National Research Council panel on alcohol abuse was unable to decide on the influence of alcohol advertising. They concluded that “It is generally thought that the main effect of commercial advertising is to alert the public to new brands, in competition with older ones, and conversely to protect or expand the market shares of established brands. The available scientific evidence is too sparse to permit us any extended discussion of the effects of advertising policies.”
If you or a loved one need help to quit 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).
