Drugs and the Media: An Introduction

Handbook of drug abuse prevention, 2006

2025

We invite contributions for the forthcoming edited volume Media Studies Meet Drug Research, to be submitted for publication with Routledge. This interdisciplinary collection will explore the intersections between media and drug research, highlighting theoretical, empirical, and methodological connections. The volume aims to bring together leading scholars from both fields to examine how media and drug cultures, policies, markets, and representations shape each other in contemporary societies. We seek chapters addressing topics such as: - Theoretical frameworks linking media studies and drug research - Identity, stigma, and agency in digital and drug-related environments - Representations, narratives, and moral panics in media discourses - Digital platforms, online drug markets, and algorithmic influences - Policy, governance, and surveillance in both media and drug domains - Methodological innovations in interdisciplinary research

Preventing adolescent drug abuse, 1983

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021

Drug use has been increasing worldwide over recent decades. Apart from the determinants of drug initiation established in numerous studies, the authors wish to draw attention to other equally important factors, which may contribute to augmenting this phenomenon. The article aims to draw attention to the content of mass culture, especially representations of drug use in mass media, which may influence the liberalization of attitudes towards drugs and their use. The role of mass culture and its impact on the audience is discussed. It presents an overview of drug representations in the content of mass culture, e.g., in film, music, literature, and the occurrence of drug references in everyday products, e.g., food, clothes, and cosmetics. Attention was drawn to liberal attitudes of celebrities and their admissions to drug use, particularly to the impact of the presented positions on the attitudes of the audience, especially young people for whom musicians, actors, and celebrities are regarded as authorities. Indications for further preventive actions were also presented. Attention was drawn to the need to take appropriate action due to the time of the COVID-19 pandemic when many people staying at home (due to lockdown or quarantine) have the possibility of much more frequent contact with mass culture content, which may distort the image of drugs.

This project examines the impact of mass media in creating awareness against drug abuse. this work will enable use know how the drugs is used for our body. this work went further using a questionnaire for it respondents. it is therefore recommended that 1. I recommend that the mass media should intensify their public awareness campaign by organizing drama, symposium, lectures not only in the urban areas but also in our rural areas, this campaign should be made available because research as shown that Nigeria youths in both rural and urban area of different socio-economic background indulges in the use and abuse of dangerous and illicit drugs. 2. I also recommend drug abuse education in schools and this should be pursued by providing factual information, this additional instruction should infuse drug education into existing school curriculum related to this is the establishment and encouraging of drug free club in our schools. 3. Finally, the mass media being an effective instrument for mass mobilization should encourage the government to establish counselling Centers in Churches, Mosques, Markets, town halls recreation Centers, hospitals. This will provide the therapeutic environment that allows a two-way communication interaction to take place between counsellor and client.

The causes of adolescent substance use are multifactorial, but the media can play a key role. Tobacco and alcohol represent the 2 most significant drug threats to adolescents. More than $22 billion per year is spent on advertising for tobacco, alcohol, and prescription drugs, and such advertising has been shown to be effective. Digital media are increasingly being used to advertise drugs. In addition, exposure to PG-13-and R-rated movies at an early age may be a major factor in the onset of adolescent tobacco and alcohol use. 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, incorporating the topic of advertising and media into all substance abuseprevention programs, and implementing media education programs in the classroom. Pediatrics 2010;126:791-799 ADOLESCENT DRUG USE Although illegal drugs take their toll on American society, 2 legal drugs-alcohol and tobacco-pose perhaps the greatest danger to children and teenagers. Both represent significant gateway drugs and are among the earliest drugs used by children or teenagers. A preadolescent or adolescent who smokes tobacco or drinks alcohol is 65 times more likely to use marijuana, for example, than someone who abstains. 4 The younger the age at which experimentation occurs, the greater the risk of serious health problems. 5 Every year, more than 400 000 Americans die from illnesses directly related to cigarette use-more than from AIDS, car crashes, murder, and suicide combined. 6 More than 100 000 deaths annually can be attributed to exces-THE COUNCIL ON COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA KEY WORDS adolescence, substance use, alcohol, tobacco, cigarettes, illicit drugs, TV, movies, Internet This document is copyrighted and is property of the American Academy of Pediatrics and its Board of Directors. All authors have filed conflict of interest statements with the American Academy of Pediatrics. Any conflicts have been resolved through a process approved by the Board of Directors. The American Academy of Pediatrics has neither solicited nor accepted any commercial involvement in the development of the content of this publication.

Australian Journal of Social Issues, 1999

The Nalionallibrary supplies copies of this article under licence trom the Copyright Agency Limited (CAL). Further r.eproductions 01 this article can only be made under hcence. Morag McArtllllr In light of the Federal Govemment decision to withdraw supponfrom the Australian Capital Territory's heroin trial and the Prime Minister's continued strong resistance this paper examines the history of methadone treatment in Australia. It argues that the shift in views surrounding methadone treatment in the mid 1980s was assisted in part by /Wo jactors. The first was the role of the media; the second was the leadership taken by the Federal Govemment culminating in 1985 with the Drug Summit. The story of methadone treatment, panicularly the role of the media, is a reminder oj the strong emotional response some drugs creates in the minds of the community and politiCians. This example of policy reform also illustrates how cenain groups can hamess the media's influence and effect change.

International Journal of Drug Policy, 2011

Background: Media reporting on illicit issues has been frequently criticised for being sensationalised, biased and narrow. Yet, there have been few broad and systematic analyses of the nature of reporting. Using a large sample and methods commonly adopted in media communications analysis this paper sought to identify the dominant media portrayals used to denote illicit drugs in Australian newspapers and to compare and contrast portrayals across drug types. Methods: A retrospective content analysis of Australian print media was carried out over the period 2003-2008 from a sample comprised of 11 newspapers. Articles that contained one or more mention of five different drugs (or derivatives) were identified: cannabis, amphetamines, ecstasy, cocaine and heroin. A sub-sample of 4397 articles was selected for media content analysis (with 2045 selected for full content analysis) and a large number of text elements coded for each. Key elements included topic, explicit or implicit messages about the consequences of drugs/use and three value dimensions: overall tone, whether drugs were portrayed as a crisis issue and moral evaluations of drugs/use. Results: The dominant media portrayals depicted law enforcement or criminal justice action (55%), but most articles were reported in a neutral manner, in the absence of crisis framings. Portrayals differed between drugs, with some containing more narrow frames and more explicit moral evaluations than others. For example, heroin was disproportionately framed as a drug that will lead to legal problems. In contrast, ecstasy and cocaine were much more likely to emphasise health and social problems. Conclusion: Media reporting on illicit drugs is heavily distorted towards crime and deviance framings, but may be less overtly sensationalised, biased and narrowly framed than previously suggested. This is not to suggest there is no sensationalism or imbalance, but this appears more associated with particular drug types and episodes of heightened public concern.

2011

Using mainstream media communication theories, this article outlines different mechanisms by which media can impact on public perceptions of drugs and crime. The media can set the agenda and define public interest; frame issues through selection and salience; indirectly shape individual and community attitudes towards risk and norms; and feed into political debate and decision making. We demonstrate how the media can fulfill each of these roles by examining the so-called Miaow Miaow (Mephedrone) legal high 'epidemic', as reported in the United Kingdom news media from 2009-2010. In doing so we illustrate that by contributing to hysteria, exerting pressure for policy change and increasing curiosity in drug use, the media can have a potentially powerful impact on demand for drugs and public perceptions of illicit drugs and drugs policy.

This paper investigates the role of media, source and message credibility in the process of preventing/reducing drug use. An original contribution of the study is that this investigation was conducted with a sample segmented by level of marijuana use.