Both the entry by G.S. Cape in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica and the article by Susanna Stern in the Journal of Health Communication focus on the cognitive side of the relationship between drug use in film and its real world effects.
Cape talks about how television provides a "visual and aural transmission of cultural beliefs and attitudes." and in some cases can even "make history and dictate societal norms and values." He examines the stereotypes portrayed and how they each portray drug use in their own fashion, including the desensitizing and normalizing effects they produce. For example, his "humorous/comedic user" stereotype highlights glamorized use and lack or real-life consequences.
Stern addresses the tendency of teens to be drawn to models who are "similar, desirable, and attractive." In addition, she parallels Cape's findings on the issue of consequence; she notes that "substance use is portrayed as a relatively common and carefree behavior among teen characters in teen-centered films." She posits that this attitude produces an unfortunate apathy towards drugs in these films' viewers.
The study done by Hunt et al., as well as the article by Michael Montagne, tackle the other side of the issue: the quantified effects.
The Hunt article examines a group of Scottish youth and attempts to find a link between film exposure to illicit substances, and a resulting increase in viewer use of these substances. After executing a method which measured the presence of drugs in certain movies and gathered data from a group of Scottish teenagers, Hunt found that there is a relationship between exposure to drugs and the use of these drugs demonstrated by the viewers.
Montagne's article examines not only film, but many other forms of drugs in the media. He mentions newspapers, magazines, radio, and a whole host of media outlets. This includes his findings on film effects: he states that exposure to on-screen use of substances increases the probability of the viewer engaging in these activities.
These sources paint a disheartening picture about the power of influence that films can have on their viewers. The kind of fundamental and effective cognitive consequences that movies can have on their young audience illustrates a need to be responsible with the messages that are present.
These media effects are not that much of a surprise, however. People have always had a particularly strong bond with film, and the cultural significance of different characters is something that dates back to the very dawn of the moving picture. However, these recent studies of the negative effects have proven that film makers need to be conscious of this influence. Movies are an art form, and to censor drug use would be extremely detrimental. This means that for a future in which film is free and children are uncorrupted, there needs to be a balance: drug use portrayal is fine, but not under those conditions which fail to show the consequences of such a lifestyle. The Media Awareness Project website talks about this conflict and how it should be handled.
The main offenders in modern movies are "stoner comedies" and other films in which drugs, particularly marijuana, are a laughing matter and no big deal. "Pineapple Express," "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle," and others show casual drug use and portray stoners as loveable, though maybe a little silly. These movies have created an attitude in the movie making business that has translated to a relaxed attitude in other films. For instance, "Get Him to the Greek" has multiple scenes in which the main characters use heroin, ecstasy, and a whole host of other hard drugs. However, the audience never bats an eye as long as the drug use is in a funny situation. As the following clip shows, even extreme drug use can be portrayed a little too casually.
Our research has found that film portrayal of drug use does in fact lead to an increase in drug use among the audience, and cognitive effects on younger audiences are particularly disturbing. The proper response is to ensure that drug use is portrayed in a realistic way, such that the consequences are apparent and the audience has an accurate and complete view of substance effects. Unfortunately, as of right now that is not often the case. Because there is still more research to be done, there is a notable lack of media coverage on the issue. However, a good commentary on drug portrayal is provided by WhatCulture.com, which gives a great overview of how certain drug-related movies and scenes actually served to intentionally glamorize drugs.
