HTTP/1.0 200 OK
Content-Type: text/html
Media's Role In Drug Awareness Examined
Pubdate: Wed, 21 Sep 2005
Source: Victoria News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 Victoria News
Contact: http://www.vicnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1267
Author: Brennan Clarke
MEDIA'S ROLE IN DRUG AWARENESS EXAMINED
When it comes to addressing Victoria's growing drug problem, health
authorities maintain that public education through the media is one
of the most effective tools at their disposal.
On the other hand, there's no shortage of critics who suggest that
media coverage of drug-related issues encourages drug use by
publicizing and glamourizing the latest mind-altering substances.
"It's taking a risk in hopes that the potentially small amount of
harm you cause will result in a greater good," said Vancouver Island
chief medical health officer Richard Stanwick.
"This isn't the sort of stuff that is polite dinner conversation.
Unless we can get these things discussed in families, there are kids
that are going to fall victim."
Questions about the media's role in drug awareness and education have
been especially pertinent since the death of 13-year-old Mercedes Rae
Clarke earlier this month.
The Central Middle school student passed away less than 24 hours
after ingesting a substance she thought was ecstasy that was
purchased from a downtown street dealer. Toxicology results have yet
to be completed and health authorities say the precise cause of death
may never be known, but there has been speculation that Clarke
suffered an allergic reaction to something in the pills and some
suggestion that they contained crystal meth.
The tragedy occurred despite months of intense news coverage about
the dangers of crystal meth, leading to speculation that media-fueled
publicity may be partly to blame.
Joanna Young of the Drug Addiction Help Line, a Vancouver based
organization that refers clients to rehabilitation services across
north America, said studies indicate that anti-drug messages have a
major impact on teen drug use.
Young cited a recent report by the U.S.-based Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration that found the vast majority of
youth aged 12 to 17 are receiving drug and alcohol prevention
messages through the media.
"Kids who are exposed to anti-drug messages are significantly less
likely to do drugs," Groves said. "So any kind of public service
announcement, drug education or anti-drug message will affect
somebody. That just shows us we need to step up awareness to the public."
Called the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the report
estimates that 83 percent of teens are exposed to these anti-drug messages.
"The kids who are exposed look at (drugs) in a completely different
way. Some of the kids start to cry and say 'my friends who do this
are going to die,'" Groves said.
However, Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy
Alliance, said the media walks a fine line between informing the
public and blowing the drug problem out of proportion.
"One of the biggest thing is, the media tends to love a drug scare,"
said Nadelmann, who spoke at the University of Victoria last week.
"If a person's first use with a drug doesn't match the scare stories,
then it's a bit of a double-edged sword. The exaggeration discredits
the really accurate health-care information that's out there.
"The most important thing is that the information is accurate. If
you're going to be honest about a drug, you have to say the good and the bad."
Stanwick said those who might criticize a media outlet for publishing
the ingredients used to make crystal meth are ignoring the likelihood
that teenagers have ready access to that information via the Internet.
"We live in the information age and this information is available to
anyone who can surf the Internet," he said. "Most of what you're
talking about, the kids already know."
George Orr, a professor with the B.C. Institute of Technology's media
program, said too often the media becomes a scapegoat for drug tragedies.
"Crystal meth is no more glamourized than blowing up vehicles in
Baghdad is glamourized. People don't become alcoholics because they
see a whiskey ad in a magazine," Orr said. "There's always some
people who, no matter who they are, are going to do what they're going to do."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman