Substance Abuse in Music

Music has always been able to tell a story. It has allowed musicians to connect with people all over the world through sound, style and experience. It has helped people process heartbreak, family struggles, tackled racism and prejudice, as well as been a form of celebration and love. However, behind the music there are many artists who have and are struggling with substance abuse. This is a problem that has been prevalent in the music industry dating as far back as the 1930s.

Source: https://www.medicaldaily.com

After hearing about the recent passing of JUICE WRLD last month, I couldn't help but think of how many influential artists we have lost to substance and drug use in the last few years. Just within the last decade we have lost the likes of talents such as: Michael Jackson, Prince, Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse & Mac Miller and now Juice Wrld. The devastating loss of such talented and beloved artists stems from their addiction to drugs such as heroic, fentanyl, cocaine, and alcohol.

These drugs give the individual taking them a rush of dopamine that you can naturally get from being excited about pay day, or the feeling you get seeing a loved one. The drug replaces this level of dopamine and increases the individual in such an unnatural way that it is impossible to have the same feeling without it. Due to this, it becomes extremely difficult for the individual to not become reliant on them. The consistent use of the drugs mean that when attempting to break the cycle the individual faces a vicious spiral of depression and anxiety, and the only way to gain back a sense of stability is with those said drugs, which brings back the vicious cycle of addiction.

Source: dancingastronaut.com

Many people outside of the industry have questioned this very culture. Why is it that artists in particular have an association with these drugs? Why is the result of many celebrities deaths associated with a form of addiction? The answer is simple. The culture that has shaped the entertainment industry, whether that be music or film creates an illusion of these drugs and the highly negative consequences of them. The industry has glamorised drugs and drinking as fun and recreational. They have been inserted into music videos, into films, they are present at award ceremonies and music festivals. This has caused the very idea of these substances to become normalised within the industry, so much so that it is not even highlighted as a threat even after the deaths of so many people.

It is crucial now more than ever that the industry starts talking about the level of drug use in the music industry. This begins by tackling artists who are in rehab facilities and stars who show signs of addiction. The industry needs to begin taking responsibility for these young artists, their teams need to ensure that they are receiving the support they need to prevent addiction and substance abuse from occurring.

Pass on the message,

Miss Minority