Given how many Americans consume illegal drugs, you’d think there’d be more television shows featuring the banality of illegal drug use. (I’m not up on premium cable shows so this may already be a staple of television.)
Such openness in our media could, perhaps, lead to less drug use.
According to a World Health Organization report being trumpeted by Ben Goldacre, most anti-drug television spots are so badly made they are likely to fall on deaf ears:
“Such programmes rely on sensationalised, exaggerated statements about cocaine which misinform about patterns of use, stigmatise users, and destroy the educator’s credibility.”
One would think that adverts (whether inserted into dramas or stand-alone) in which patterns of drug use are realistic – based on data – and users are not stigmatized would allow a more credible educator to lay out simple but important guidelines that could reduce drug use; e.g., if you experience side-effects, see a doctor.
Assuming, of course, there’s a doctor see you.