Over the past 100 years of film making, there have been movies covering every subject that can be thought of from SciFi, to live action, horror, etc.

Then there is what can only be described as drug use genre.  Wikipedia lists all of the films since 1916 that are linked to drug use.  There are over 700 listings. These movies span from cartoons to documentaries, comedies and horror.  The plot of most of these movies doesn’t necessarily revolve around drugs, but they play some role in the plot. Such movies include Peter Pan (Pixie dust – PCP), Requiem for a Dream (heroin), and Pink Floyd The Wall (acid). These are just a few examples.

For the most part, movies glorify drug abuse. As the audience sees the effects of drugs in the movie,drug use can seem appealing. So to experience what they’ve seen, they try the drugs for themselves. This was how those sorts of movies affected me.  I thought the only way I could enjoy them was to be high. I wanted to try to experience the same feelings and thoughts of the actors on the screen. That’s even knowing the majority of the time the actors/actresses weren’t high. It was my own justification to get high.

For some its not just the illegal drugs that some struggle with. It’s the legal ones. In today’s society, it is acceptable to use certain drugs and no one will think twice. Nicotine, caffeine, alcohol and prescription drugs are more commonly abused than others. These are also the drugs most commonly used in films than any other drugs.  Not only are drugs promoted in movies but it is estimated that 25 million dollars in advertising is done on tobacco, alcohol and prescription drugs.

Some of my usage is from me incorporating what I have seen in movies, as far as how they portray drugs, into my life. The action of using drugs is built up to show that drugs and alcohol make life manageable and desirable.  While some movies show a small glance of the horrible outcome of drug or alcohol use, most of them do not.  Let me tell you, drugs and alcohol don’t discriminate against anyone and affects people whether they are rich, poor, young, old, no matter the color of their skin or where they are from.

At the end of that road is death. The good thing about today’s society is there are people and places available that do care. If you or a loved one is on the road to destruction, please don’t wait until it is too late. Step in for the user and do something about it. That lifestyle isn’t what it is made out to be on the big screen.