[TL;DR: The truth to how cultural influence – celebrities, pop-culture, savvy marketing and profit-driven brands – have led the rebrand for drugs, cultivating greater acceptance of drugs and fuelling misperceptions of the harm of drugs. The key takeaway? Be mindful and aware of how culture can shape your views and cultivate tolerant attitudes towards drugs.]
You probably have hummed a song about drugs or watched content that openly shows consumption and glorifies the enjoyment of various types of drugs. You may even have heard that certain types of drugs can bring about benefits – whether it is enhancing your experience at a rave or helping aid sleep. Globally, drugs have undergone an extensive rebrand, all thanks to the power of cultural influence. How did drugs go from criminal to even a celebrated culture in some parts of the world?
The Power of Celebrity
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Many musicians, actors, and social media influencers openly use or promote some form of drugs. Some have even launched their own cannabis brand businesses; making drug abuse seem glamorous, creative, and rebellious all while profiting from it at the same time. But the reality is that all of this is planned and purposely framed to challenge perceptions and distort the truth about drugs.
Beyond normalising and glamorising drugs, why cultural influence can be exceptionally powerful is in how it is shared. Music, celebrities, movies etc are all cultural influences that are enjoyed with other people, they provide an identity and a sense of connectedness. These influences are all around us and can gradually shape one’s view of reality. It makes them perceive the real world in a way that mirrors what is seen in media, especially in this new age of rapid social media consumption.
We can all identify with having specific friendships or social groups that are built on a common love and interest for a particular type of cultural influence. What happens when that cultural influence promotes drugs as a certain lifestyle? How does that affect social groups and individual views? It is not easy and takes courage to go against the grain.
The Reality Check
Cultural influence is all around us. And as wider legalisation of certain types of drugs and pro-drug narratives gain traction globally, drugs may one day be positioned as a lifestyle choice. The power of cultural influence can turn something undesirable into something desirable, distorting views and encouraging more permissive attitudes towards drugs. This can ultimately lead to openness to try when we lose sight of the real damaging consequences of drug abuse. No matter how “cool” or acceptable drug abuse may seem, it causes harmful consequences that are far from glamorous. Should we exercise greater caution in the media we consume?