MEDIA AND DRUGS 1

Media and Drugs

Kelly Reeves

American Military University

MEDIA AND DRUGS 2

Findings of AAP article

Substance abuse among the adolescents is caused by different factors where the media

plays the major role. The parents, federal government, and schools have been trying to protect

teenagers and children from being exposed to drugs but their efforts are futile since more than

$25 billion is used in advertising alcohol, prescription drug, and cigarette and this means that the

media advocates consumption of the drugs (Strasburger, 2010). Movies and television programs

have substantial amounts of substance use and media depictions in the modern days are

considered to be positive and they have not criticized the way traditional advertising was. This

means that the youths have been receiving mixed messages concerning the substance use and

media has played a big role in causing drug abuse among the young people.

In America, tobacco and alcohol are the major drugs that are consumed heavily by the

teenagers and children. A research that was conducted revealed that adolescents who drink

alcohol or smoke cigarette are 65 times more likely to consume marijuana compared to people

who abstain from taking drugs (Strasburger, 2010). People who start using drugs at the tender

age have higher chances of getting serious health problems. Drug use plays a major role in

engaging young people in risky behaviors that happen when they are at the adolescent stage. It is

incontrovertible to rule out the power of advertising because it is one of the factors that make

adolescents and children engage in drugs and substance abuse. Advertisements are powerful

because companies spend billions of dollars where young models, humor, rock music and

celebrity endorsers are involved in the ads (Strasburger, 2010).

Advertising makes drinking and smoking to look as if it is normal activity and since the

teenagers are curious, they put this into an experiment where they find themselves as drugs users.

Tobacco is one of the drugs that are more advertised and it uses a lot of money which is about
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$15 billion every year (Strasburger, 2010). The promotion and advertisement of alcohol cost

about $6 billion per year where the ads are tailor-made to appeal adolescents and children

because they use sexy, fun-loving and successful youths enjoying their lives. The prescription

drugs adverts use about $4 billion annually and the study revealed that companies spend 2 times

more on the marketing compared to the amount used in development and research. Teenagers

and children receive the messages informing them that there are pills that cure all diseases and

those that arouse sexual feelings. A survey conducted in 2004 revealed that approximately 500

million dollars were used to advertise Levitra, Viagra, and Cialis whereas the adverts that had to

do with emergency contraception, birth control pills, and condoms were rare and haphazard

(Strasburger, 2010).

Prime-time television and movies contain scenes with smoking, for example, the

Hollywood use smoking as a sign of anti-established or troubled character. Alcohol is the major

drug that is portrayed on the television in America where 1 drinking scene is shown at an interval

of 22 minutes as opposed to 1 smoking scene occurring after every 57 minutes and 1 illicit drug

use occurring at an interval of 112 minutes (Strasburger, 2010). The new technologies such as

social networking sites, cellular phones, and the internet offer problematic opportunities for

exposing adolescent to drugs. Some of the Websites sell alcohol and tobacco products to all

people regardless of their age while others verify the age first before selling.

Teenagers can access the drug and alcohol content on networking sites and online where

they later try to put what they saw into practice. AAP finally provide guidance and the

pediatricians are supposed to encourage the parents, community and legislative advocacy to

follow them. The discussion in this paper focuses on media as a major cause of drugs abuse

among adolescents. It will cover how media and information from other sources portray the use
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of these substances. Also, the paper will give a summary on how the substances are portrayed

and the issues it addresses, for example, the implications of this portrayal, the message it

addresses, to whom is it addressed and negative consequences of media depictions. The last part

of the paper will review the guidelines which are suggested by AAP and the issues that are

addressed.

Substance use as portrayed by media and AAP

The increase in the use of digital media when advertising drugs has greatly affected the

younger generation. Exposing children to movies at an early age and watching the programs that

are meant for adults, contribute to the early consumption of alcohol and tobacco (Levinthal,

2016). When watching these programs, teens become curious where they use and they do so by

following what is being done by the characters within the programs (Levinthal, 2016). AAP on

the other hand, in support of the media programs, recommends that, despite the wrong message

passed on to the adolescents, media should not be banned completely but should limit and

control its advertisements (Strasburger, 2010).

According to Levinthal (2016), people are supposed to live in communities that restrict

smoking but AAP contradicts this because tobacco appears frequently in movies. These

messages are not accurate according to the actual data on substance use because, in reality, the

advertisements prohibit children and teens from consuming some drugs such as alcohol; however

the number of children and teens consuming alcohol is still increasing (Grube, 2004). However,

at some point, AAP is contradicting the media because even if the media implement the

recommendation given by AAP, young people will still abuse these drugs (Strasburger, 2010).

Therefore, AAP suggests that media should completely ban alcohol and tobacco advertisements

to prevent children from being exposed to illegal drugs (Strusbarger, 2010). AAP also suggests
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that media should develop various programs and implement them to educate the adolescents on

harmful effects on the use of alcohol and tobacco instead of advertising tobacco and alcohol.

AAP encourages parents, the federal government as well as the schools to be at the front line in

educating children on the negative effects of drug use. Unfortunately, media, on the other hand,

contradicts the AAP by promoting the use of tobacco and alcohol.

Media should use traditional methods to advertise these drugs and this is because the

methods invite criticism (In Cherry et al., 2016). People watching TV and films expect to receive

educative information but instead, the adverts on alcohol and tobacco are shown and confuse the

younger generation making them have mixed signals about the use of harmful substances, and

therefore, they find themselves at risks of alcohol and tobacco use at their tender age.

Some of the drugs that are first introduced to teenagers in America include; tobacco and alcohol

(Strasburger, 2010). The statistics show that an adolescent who uses tobacco and alcohol is six

times more expected to consume marijuana than a person who has abstained from drugs

(Strasburger, 2010). Annually, the number of reported death of Americans as results of illnesses

caused by drug abuse is approximately more than four hundred thousand. The number of death

caused as a result of smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol is more than the number of the

death caused by AIDS, murder, and all forms of suicide (Grube, 2004).

The ways that are used by the media to advertise these substances, greatly contradict the

recommendations and the measures taken by AAP. This is because media is after the money but

the AAP is trying to address the issues of dangers that the media poses to young people after

advertising tobacco and alcohol. However, despite all of the contradictions made by the media,

both AAP and media have developed various strategies that protect young people from abusing

alcohol and tobacco and they can be successful when implemented properly. The media can
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achieve this through limiting the adverts as well as limiting the extent to which various programs

portray the use of these harmful substances. AAP, on the other hand, can develop some strategies

and form programs to be used by the media in order to educate people of all ages on the dangers

of alcohol and tobacco use (Strasburger, 2010). This collaboration could enable both the media

and the AAP to effectively control the targeted group and this will protect young people from

substance abuse.

How media portrays substance use

In the media, substance abuse is presented regularly in films and Television as a different

monster compared to how it exists in the real world. Some of the movies, for example, “Requiem

for a Dream” show the dangers of drug abuse by portraying people who are stuck in the vicious

cycle of abuse and pain and this discourages drug abuse. Advertisements have the power to

influence people of all ages, which is undeniably true. In order to be effective in their

advertisements, media uses all means where the companies spend millions of dollars to make

sure that their products reach out to as many customers as possible.

Media uses ways that are more attractive to children and adolescents, for example, they

use famous celebrities and music to add humor to the adverts. According to Bar-On et al. (2013),

advertising contributes to about 30 percent of the alcohol and tobacco use among adolescents.

The implication of this media portrayal has been demonstrated by the researchers and the

statistics indicate that 1200 deaths are caused by tobacco every day where about 50 percent of

those dead began smoking at an early age. The age bracket usually starts around 13 and ends at

19 years old. The same study shows the implication of media on substance use continues to

increase as the industry recruits more young adults who later become smokers. At this tender age
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young minds are so vibrant and energetic and therefore, the consequences of smoking are not

vividly seen.

Unlike tobacco, alcohol depictions are clearly demonstrated and the advertisements for

alcohol have no restrictions and they can be done at free will. Media portrays alcohol as a drug

for everyone compared to tobacco and alcohol ads are commonly contained on prime-time

television. Thomsen and Bongartiz, (2014) assert that a teenager is four hundred times more

likely to view an ad that advertises alcohol than to view an ad that contains PSA which

discourages underage drinking. More so, the magazines meant for teens consist of more than 48

percent of advertisements for beer and 20 percent of liquor advertisements. Most patients in the

hospital request the advertised drugs more than those which are not advertised. In many

occasions, the media takes part in advertising drugs and this brings negative implications when

used, for example, in 2004, drug companies utilized more than half a billion within a period of

10 months to advertise the sexual stimulating drugs (Strasburger, 2010).

The consequences of this portrayal showed that the media undermined the advertisements

of birth control methods. According to In Cherry et al. (2016), the manner in which the substance

use is portrayed by the media has the influence on the behavior and view of adolescents.

Following the demonstrations above, it is very clear that media is passing a message to young

people and the world that the war on drugs is a difficult battle to win. The tobacco and alcohol

advert message is sent to the adult because according to the rules and regulation, the adult is the

only group that is supposed to consume tobacco and alcohol. The message reveals how people

relieve their stresses after smoking tobacco or drinking an alcohol. The implication of this

portrayal is that when the children and teenagers watch adverts from the media, they get tempted

to practice and they see the attention and glory one receives after drinking or smoking.
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However, the information portrayed by media is very accurate on how the drugs are supposed to

be used (Levinthal, 2016).

The media keeps on finding new ways on how to influence people and this means that

overcoming the power of adverts pose a big challenge. The media portrayals should be accurate

in their depictions of use and this will help the intended audience to get the message with ease.

The use of depictions has a positive effect because it will enable the intended audience to use the

drugs correctly (Brown, 2011). The negative effect of using accurate media portrayal is that the

advert may be accessed by the wrong audience and this may make the wrong audience to be

curious about the advert, for example, a child may become curious about an advert of a smoking

person and this may make him/her curious. Despite the negative consequences, advertisements

can be used as a tool for guidance and counseling and this means that young people can learn the

negative effects of drugs and substance abuse from advertisements.

Recommendations suggested by AAP

AAP has formulated some guidance and it has categorized the recommendation as

anticipatory guidance, community advocacy, and legislative advocacy. In the anticipatory

guidance, the recommendations given include the following; the pediatricians are supposed to

encourage the parents to supervise their children when using the media and they should remove

televisions that are in the bedrooms of their children. The pediatricians are supposed to ask at

least two questions regarding the use of the media to children who pay them a visit, for example,

the number of entertainments the children watch daily and whether there is internet access or TV

in the bedroom of the adolescents or children. Pediatricians are supposed to encourage the

parents to monitor their children and limit the access to television venues that have excessive

depictions on the substance use, for example, Showtime, MTV, Comedy Central, and HBO.
MEDIA AND DRUGS 9

Parents are encouraged to protect their children and adolescents from being exposed to R-rated

and PG-13 films since they have contents that can misguide them.

Parents are encouraged to watch the programs from the media together with their children

and during that time, they can hold a discussion of the content being displayed and this will help

the teenagers and children to understand more the full concept of what is occurring and the

danger of it if necessary. Parents are further recommended to switch off their television during

the meal time to give their children and adolescents time to eat and finally, the pediatricians are

supposed to remove all magazines that have advertisements that advocate the use of alcohol and

cigarette in their waiting rooms.

In the legislative advocacy section, the pediatricians are supposed to encourage the

Congress to outlaw adverts that have to do with tobacco in all media that are accessed by

children, and most of the European countries have adopted the idea. Recently, the Congress

allowed the Food and Drug Administration to control tobacco products in the country although it

is expected that the tobacco industry will appeal the decision in the court. The Congress should

direct the alcohol industry to present its annual expenditure so that it can be reviewed by the

Federal Trade Commission and this should include the expenditures on the media venues where

the adolescents and children represent about 10% of the share in the market.

The pediatricians are supposed to advise the alcoholic industry not to conduct

advertisements in places where adolescents and children are more than 10%. The White House

Office should start conducting anti-teen-drinking and anti-smoking public campaign and adverts

before movies and television programs that have depictions of alcohol and tobacco. The media

plays a major role in the behavior and development of adolescents and children and pediatricians

are supposed to encourage the media to set aside more resources to be used in media research.
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The government can also achieve this through imposing higher taxes on alcohol and tobacco

products. Lastly, the pediatricians are supposed to encourage the Congress to enact some rules

and regulations to govern digital advertising that aims adolescents and children.

The entertainment industries are also given some advice on how they are supposed to

conduct themselves in regard to tobacco and alcoholic beverages. The pediatricians are supposed

to advise the drug companies, medical groups, public health groups and advertising industries to

have open and full debate on the importance of having an advertisement for the drugs

prescription. The advertisements that have to do with drugs for curing erectile dysfunction

should be aired from 10 PM when the children and adolescents asleep. Pediatricians are

encouraged to sensitize the entertainment industry on the effects of movies and television on

adolescents and children and the responsibility of the industry on public health. The use of

alcohol should not be considered as a normative behavior of teens and the traditional depiction

should be abolished.

TV series and films that are mostly watched by adolescents should mainly concentrate on

public service advertisement that educates them on the dangers of drinking and smoking, not the

other way around. MPAA rating should be amended in order for tobacco use to garner R rating

in new movies because smoking is considered as a factor by MPAA when assigning the rate.

Once again pediatricians are supposed to encourage the entertainment industry, federal and state

agencies, and advertising firms to establish and maintain strong anti-drug advertising campaigns

that deal with the most dangerous drugs (alcohol and tobacco) on the health of adolescents.

Recently, the major Hollywood studios have agreed to include anti-smoking advertisements on

new movies because the movies they create attract children. Lastly, pediatricians are supposed to
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work in collaboration with AAP Julius Richmond to improve the health of children through the

elimination of incidences that expose children to secondhand and tobacco smoke.

Important Recommendations

The most important recommendation from the guidelines by AAP is the one played by

the parents. Pediatricians have advised parents to watch the media together with their children

and later discuss the content (Strasburger, 2010). The growth and development of children

depend on how they are raised. Parents have the sole responsibility of monitoring the activities of

their children at home because they spend a big part of their time at home along with school.

Teachers are doing as much as necessary to express the importance and understanding of drug

use in all forms while at school. This then leaves the parents to do their job as best as possible

ton their part to continue the teaching phase of all items when at home. Adolescents trust their

parents more than they trust any other person and this means that they are in a better position of

explaining things to their children without their children asking questions or wanting to go

against them. Most kids honestly just want to make their parents happy. When parents watch the

media together with their children and teens, the children and teens learn a lot. In most cases, the

children and teens do not enjoy watching the movies and TV in absence of their parents because

they are used to see their parents while watching and since the brain is still developing, this

becomes a habit.

These recommendations are necessary because they involve different parties that can

contribute toward drug and substance abuse among adolescents. All of these recommendations

touch on the parent, community advocacy, legislative advocacy, and tobacco, alcoholic

beverages, and entertainment industries (Strasburger, 2010). In all aspects, it is everyone’s

responsibility including the advertising companies must join hands and come together to ensure
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that children and teenagers are not exposed to drugs. Parents are supposed to teach their children

good morals and the government is supposed to come up with rules and regulations governing

the advertisement post made in the media concerning the drug use. This will ensure that children

and teenagers are not exposed to advertisements that may compromise their morals. Advertising

firms are also advised to be careful when making advertisements that are meant for adults. They

are supposed to air these advertisements late at night when minors are asleep and if followed, the

recommendations will be effective in addressing the concerns raised by the AAP article.
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Reference

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... & Hogan, M. (2013). Children, adolescents, and television. Pediatrics, 107(2),

423-426.

Brown, . (2011). Encyclopedia of adolescence. 3 vols. Sidcup: Academic Press.

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consumption among youth. National Research Council and Institute of Medicine,

Reducing underage drinking: A collective responsibility, background papers.

In Cherry, A., In Baltag, V., & In Dillon, M. (2016). International handbook on adolescent

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Levinthal, C. (2016). Drugs, behavior, and modern society. Boston: Pearson.

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