Article Written By: Zainab Anwar
Article Cover By: Gowri Chandran
Addiction, to substances, drinks, devices, etc, has become a serious “epidemic” in recent years. It has torn apart families and ruined lives. Schools spend countless amounts of money on health classes to educate their students on the dangers of addiction. With so many “Don’t Do Drugs” or “Never Drink or Drive” campaigns around the world, it’s disappointing that cases of alcohol and drug addiction only increase. News and other media outlets are constantly warning the public of this widespread issue taking over our world. Yet, despite its horrible impacts, when and why did it become so normalized in society today?
One of the major forms of addiction portrayed in shows, movies, etc, today is drug addiction. In shows, like Riverdale on Netflix or Euphoria on HBO, drugs are shown to be a normal part of a teenager's everyday life. While the consequences of drug abuse are also shown, those scenes never remain in the viewer's memories. Not only that but, according to the American Addiction center, “71% of prime-time television programs depict alcohol use, 19% depict tobacco use, 20% mention illicit drug use, and 3% depict illicit drug use.” While it may not mean all teenagers start drinking and doing drugs, teenagers soon become apathetic towards drug and alcohol usage.
Shows aren’t the only place where teens are desensitized to drugs, the American Addiction Center also cites that, “Drugs are present in nearly half of all music videos, including alcohol (35%), tobacco (10%), and illicit drugs (13%).” There’s also the case of many movies portraying substances, particularly alcohol, used in a humorous way. In Psychology of Addictive Behaviors: Journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors, a study hints that there is a possible connection between movies and adolescent alcohol issues. As we all know, drinking from an early age increases the chances of serious, often damaging, strugglings with addiction in future years.
Adults and educational institutions attempt to warn adolescents about the dangers of addictions, but it’s evidently not working. Teaching catchy slogans can only take our generation so far, and with the numbers showing that, by 12th grade, 46.6% of teenagers have engaged in drug abuse and 61.5% have engaged in alcohol abuse, it’s not surprising that teens are desensitized to substance use.
How do we fix this? Well, experts say that the chances of a person partaking in substance abuse are at their highest when said person is at their lowest. School, and life in general, can often be stressful, and being a teenager comes with many difficulties. Building a safe and encouraging environment is the key to a healthy, drug free community. Substance abuse is difficult to tackle since no addict wishes to admit their addiction, despite knowing in their heart that what they’re doing is harmful to them and their loved ones. There are various rehab centers and organizations ready and willing to help people to recover from their addiction. It’s just a matter of reaching out and recognizing when you or someone you know needs help.
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