We live in an increasingly drug-tolerant society. It is all around us – from the music, to our headphones, and to our social circles. It is nearly impossible to escape drug references. While being social is an important part of our humanly needs, these cultural influences can bleed into our normative perception of how we view the world. Social acceptance and the tolerance of excessive drug use in our society is a very serious problem.
Reality television encourages the detachment of the serious consequences of drug use and creates a sensationalism that is almost as addictive as the drug itself. Many people turn towards drugs as a way to fit in or seem cool and relevant to their peers. This in turn can generate depression and addiction. If you speak to anyone who has either of these conditions, you will notice many parallels between the two mindsets. However, the glamorous nature of being popular can out-shadow the dangerous and crippling effects of addiction.
In mainstream music, many of the artists glorify or encourage overusing drugs or creating “hybrid” drugs such as lean. This sort of platform allows a much younger audience to be exposed to the world of prescription medication abuse, because of the fact it is on the radio. Famous artists such as Future or Lil Peep are known to promote Xanax abuse as well. Unfortunately, Xanax addiction was the reason for the passing of Lil Peep earlier in 2018. The glorification of losing control by using is completely skewing what is accepted as typical behavior. Without keeping this in check, today’s youth are on a fast track to drug overconsumption.
Even large attractions such as electronic music festivals have seen extremely high rates of overdose on drugs such as ecstasy and cocaine. “Nearly three-quarters (73.4%) of participants reported that they had used illicit drugs in the past 12 months, most commonly cannabis (63.9%) and ecstasy (59.8%)”. Furthermore, the instantaneous nature of social media promotes quick consumption and the adulation of “soundbite” moments that are fleeting and non-realistic. Drugs and excessive usage may allow users to have a glimpse of this fairy-tale imagery, but run the risk of addiction or overdose. Although many groups are banding together to test young people’s drugs for cross-contamination or “cutting”, it is only scratching the surface of our nation’s drug crisis. Because of the easily-consumable nature of pop culture, we must audit the content we produce for the younger generations. These influences do not show the horrible and crippling repercussions of addiction either.
It is important for anyone who is either an addict themselves or has a loved one who is, to seek proper treatment and counseling. That is why Asana Recovery offers complete and comprehensive assistance for those who may be dealing with the issues and brokenness addiction causes.