Generation+Y+and+the+normalisation+of+illicit+drug+use

Bronte Barratt N6351166 Judith Mieklejohn

** -Generation Y and the normalisation of illicit drugs- **

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Limitless is an action thriller film that was released in March 2011. Starring one of People Magazines Sexiest men alive, Bradley Cooper and Robert Di Nero, it grossed $18.9 million on its opening weekend to rank first at the box office. Limitless follows the life of a struggling writer who discovers a top-secret drug that provides him with super human abilities in all aspects of life.

**Public health issue** The public health issue that this central to this artefact, is the health related behaviours of Generation Y. This analysis will focus specifically on the use of illicit drugs. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare the use of illicit drugs in young Australians has dropped from 22% in 1999 to 11% in 2011. Although this number has dropped significantly as a whole, the same cannot be said for the sub-group within generation Y attending music festivals. It is a well-known fact that music culture and drug culture overlap and these party scenes are littered with ecstasy, speed, amphetamines and cocaine. Research suggests that certain aspects of drug use are in fact normalised among festival patrons in Australia. (Wilson et al. 2008.) The dangers of illicit drug use are endless, with the withdrawal symptoms being; drug craving, restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhoea and vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps and twitching. The long-term side effects in using illicit drugs are disturbances in heart rhythm and heart attacks, chest pain and respiratory failure, strokes, seizures and headaches and gastrointestinal complications such as abdominal pain and nausea. This analysis seeks to use empirical evidence, social theories and philosophy to ask deeper questions and draw conclusions on this important public health issue.

**Literature review** In 2007, among young people aged 12–24 years, almost one in five (19%) had used an illicit substance in the previous 12 months, equating to an estimated 721,500 young people in Australia. (AIHW 2011.) This is a large decrease from the 1998 study that showed that 42% of those aged between 12 and 24 years had used an illicit substance in the previous 12 months. (AIHW 1998.) In both studies it is shown that more males than females are using drugs. These studies show that the prevalence of illicit drug use in the Australian population has declined in recent years. However, in a cross sectional survey done by Lim M, Hellard M, Hocking J and Aitken C in 2008, ‘young Australians involved in music sub-cultures such as those attending nightclubs, raves, concerts, and music festivals are thought to be more frequent users of illicit drugs, and it has been suggested that illicit drug use is becoming normalised in these sub- populations of young people.’ <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">It is a well-known fact that music culture and drug culture overlap and these party scenes are littered with ecstasy, speed, amphetamines, cocaine with the most common drug being, cannabis. ‘ Cannabis remains the most widely used illicit drug in Australia. In 2004 33.6% of the population aged 14 years and over had ever used cannabis, with 11.3% having used it in the preceding 12 months.’ (AIHW 2004.) A longitudinal study conducted at the Big day out festival over a four year period showed that ‘ In 2009, high proportions of respondents reported that cannabis (68.1%) and ecstasy (56.3%) were 'very easy' or 'fairly easy' to obtain. This perceived ease of access remained unchanged over the 4-year period.’ (Wilson, H. 2010) In comparison, national population surveys show that 59% feel that cannabis and 41% for ecstasy are easy to obtain. (AIHW 2008.) These studies show that there are distinct disparities between the general population and music festival attendees. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The popular notion among adolescents that marijuana, the most commonly used drug in Australian youth is harmless have proven to be false. ‘Low doses of cannabis may trigger feelings of euphoria, perceptual alterations, tachycardia, drowsiness and appetite stimulation. High doses can trigger paranoia, manic psychosis, anxiety, confusion and hallucinations. In children, ingestion may result in ataxia, dilated pupils, tremor, tachycardia, pallor, confusion, coma and mild hypothermia.’ (Kim H. 2006) Drug use in adolescents has also been associated with many other risk-taking behaviours including sexual activity, truancy, violence, or weapon carrying, pregnancy; school failure, dropout, or both; injury; suicide and homicide; and motor vehicle crashes. (Bruna, A Fishman M. 1998) Another risk associated with the use of illicit drugs can be shown in a study conducted by Khan, A (2005) where ‘ multivariate analyses revealed that the odds of STIs increased with number of not only male sexual partners but also illicit drug use.’ <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Generation Y, more commonly known as the Millennials and Generation why not?, who are known for their individualistic attitudes and consumerism habits, may underestimate the risks in drug taking. ‘Young drug users find their drugs of choice beneficial both to celebrate success and create “time out” from the bad times. They move in a fast, uncertain world where leisure, pleasure and even social identity are purchased. They increasingly perceive their decisions to take drugs not as acts of rebelliousness but acts of consumption.’ (Aldridge J, Parker H & Measham F. 1998.) Further to this, drugs appear to have become caught up in the multifaceted networks of style, distinction and individualisation that dominate this generation. Different drugs carry a different significance or impression for young people, and in many instances whole youth subcultures are emerging around the consumption of particular substances. For example ‘rave’ culture is know to be simultaneous with the use of ecstasy. (Duff, C. 2003.) <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The concept of normalisation, in relation to illicit drug use has been depicted by Parker, H (2005) as ‘ the way illicit drugs consumption, particularly by conventional ‘ordinary’ young people, has grown in importance within lifestyles which are themselves evolving in response to structural and global changes in post-modern societies. Normalisation can also be used as a conceptual framework to monitor, in this case, how attitudes and behaviour in respect of illegal drugs and drug users change through time. If something is not done about this public health issue, drugs will shift into a position where they are accepted as an integral aspect of the cultures and contexts that most young people inhibit. (Shildrick, T. 2002. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">There have been many studies on the use of illicit drugs by adolescents including, longitudinal, cross sectional, qualitative and quantitative, however, most of them appear to have the same limitations. These surveys are highly subject to substantial response bias, l eading to an underestimate of drug use prevalence in Australia.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">**Cultural and social analysis** <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">There are many societal and cultural factors driving this increasingly concerning public health issue. These include socioeconomic status, family structure, ethnicity, the influence of popular culture and government focus campaigns. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">As is the case with many other health issues, results from a youth smoking survey in 2011 done by Scott Leatherdale, show that ‘ adolescents with low SES are more likely to engage in substance use.’ Supporting this evidence, Spooner, K (1999) also found the highest drug use and problems existed in the areas with the lowest SES characteristics and concluded that SES does contribute to drug abuse. Another factor in Australia that predisposes adolescent drug use is the cultural background of your family. In Australia, those of aboriginal heritage, have a higher risk of being involved with illicit substances. A descriptive, cross-sectional survey conducted in New South Wales schools ‘suggests that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students were more susceptible to, and maintained a higher rate of, substance use than non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth.’ (Forero, R, 1999). This study further showed that Aboriginal students were 1 .6 times more likely to have used cannabis, 2.0 times more likely to have used ecstasy, 1.9 times more likely to have used cocaine and 1.7 times more likely to have used narcotics than those non-aboriginal students. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">According to Barcus F & Jankowski S (1975) ‘ Mass media have been described as all- pervasive cultural institutions which both reflect and project society’s values. They are shown to have played a role throughout history, whenever new developments have threatened established values, and often are singled out as important facilitators and accelerators of social change.’ If popular culture endorses the behaviour of illicit substances, Generation Y is more likely to accept this. An example of this is the 2011 film ‘Limitless’. Limitless is an action thriller film that was released in March 2011 starring one of People Magazines Sexiest men alive, Bradley Cooper. It follows the life of a struggling writer who discovers a top-secret drug that provides him with super human abilities in all aspects of life. In this movie, taking drugs was associated with a feeling of euphoria and success. Movies such as this unknowingly legitimise the topic of drug use by the attention they give to the problem presented in dramatic and fictitious ways. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The Australian Government has put in place a National drug strategy.The National drugs campaign aims to reduce young Australians motivation to use illicit drugs by increasing their knowledge about potential negative consequences, with the current drug focus being on ecstasy. The following have been identified as drug- specific priorities for the 2010–2015 national drug strategy: Risky drinking, harms from cannabis, high demand for ecstasy, an expansion of the cocaine market, poly-drug use and Pharmaceutical drug misuse. (National drug strategy. 2011) Although these campaigns have been put in place, more has to be done to reduce this increasingly common public health issue. The government needs to think strategically about how to respond to the new utilisation patterns of today’s adolescents. It needs to be more aware of the societal and cultural factors driving this increasingly concerning public health issue. These include socioeconomic status, family structure, ethnicity, the influence of popular culture and many more. Illicit drug campaigns have been second rate in comparison to smoking and alcohol adds even though statistics show greater use and even more dangerous consequences. This needs to change to create greater health for future generations.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">**Analysis of artefact** <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The movie limitless is a prime example of popular culture legitimising the use of illicit drugs. By having a drug in the movie that offers someone super powers, it is indirectly placing a positive spin on using illicit substances. Generation Y is influenced by factors outside of their family values more so than any other previous generations. Popular culture needs to consider the impact of the messages that it is sending to the public. This analysis has shown that illicit drug use is not confined to the boundaries in which it is presented to us. There are so many unobserved social and cultural forces that strongly impact on illicit drug use in Generation Y. The Australian Government needs to take a stand on illicit drugs to help prevent further increases of illicit drug use particularly at Music festivals in Australia. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Through researching the health behaviours of Generation Y on a broader level, I have learnt that despite the medias constant negative portrayals of Generation Y, the reality is somewhat different. Being part of generation Y myself, I was surprised to find that in comparison to Generation X, Generation Y is in a better position health wise than ever before. This process has helped me to gain an understanding of the broader social and cultural factors influencing the health of our Generation and will allow me to apply this knowledge to further concepts. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">**References**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Aldridge J, Parker H, Measham F. (1998) Rethinking young people’s drug use. //Health Education, Vol. 98 Iss: 5//, p.164 – 172

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2011). Young Australians: their health and wellbeing 2011.Cat. no. PHE 140 Canberra: AIHW.

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Barcus F, Jankowski S. (1975.) Drugs and the Mass Media. //The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science// 417: p.86

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Bruner A, Fishman M. (1998) Adolescents and Illicit Drug Use. //Journal of American medical association 280(7):// p.597-598. Commonwealth of Australia. (2011) National Drug Strategy 2010–2015, A framework for action on alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. P 47.

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Duff, C. (2003) Drugs and Youth Cultures: Is Australia Experiencing the ‘Normalization’ of Adolescent Drug Use? //Journal of Youth Studies, 6:4//. p. 433-447

<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Forero, R. (1999). Substance use and socio-demographic factors among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander school students in New South Wales. //Australian and New Zealand journal of public health//, 23 (3), p. 295.

<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Heather, K. (2006). The abuse of illicit drugs. //Practice nurse: the journal for nurses in general practice////, 32 (3),// p. 26.

<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Khan, A. (2005). Correlates of sexually transmitted infections in young Australian women. //International journal of STD & AIDS//, 16 (7), p. 482.

<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Leatherdale, S. (2011.) Tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use among aboriginal youth living off-reserve: results from the Youth Smoking Survey. //CMAJ. Canadian Medical Association journal//, 183 (8), p. 6.

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Lim M, Hellard M, Hocking J, Aitken C. (2008.) A cross-sectional survey of young people attending a music festival: associations between drug use and musical preference. //Drug Alcohol Rev 27//. p439–441.

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Moon L, Meyer P and Grau J 1999. Australia’s young people: their health and wellbeing 1999. AIHW Cat. No. PHE 19. Canberra: AIHW.

<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Parker, H. (2005). Normalization as a barometer: Recreational drug use and the consumption of leisure by younger Britons. //Addiction research & theory//, 13 (3), p. 205.

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Shildrick, T. (2002) Young People, Illicit Drug Use and the Question of Normalization. //Journal of Youth Studies, 5:1//. p.35-48

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Spooner, C. (1999) Causes and correlates of adolescent drug abuse and implications for treatment. [|//Drug and Alcohol Review//][|//18.//] .453.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Wilson, H., Bryant, J., Holt, M., Treloar, C. (2010.) Normalisation of recreational drug use among young people: evidence about accessibility, use and contact with other drug users. [|//Health Sociology Review//]//19.2//. p164.

REFLECTIONS: <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> 1. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"> ** 'Sport and Feminity Do Not Mix,' says who? **  [|**n6351166**] Nov 3, 2011 11:02 am   As a female athlete myself, I can relate to everything that you have described in your analysis. Unfortunately in my sport, those who are seen to physically attractive to the opposite sex, are the only ones who can get sponsorship deals. It is sad to see someone who may have all the talent in the world, lose support from the media because they may not be "sexy" enough to put on posters. Great job on your analysis, it was very informing and i enjoyed reading it! 2. ** Running like a girl or posing like a girl? **  [|**n6351166**] Saturday, 5:37 pm   Great job on your analysis. Being a female athlete in an Olympic sport, I know how hard it is to gain enough recognition for how hard we train day in and day out. The reality is, like you said, that if you are better looking and appealing to the opposite sex, you are going to earn more money. I see so many examples in my sport where athletes who are amazing at what they do but do not have the sex appeal to go with it, struggle to find sponsors or any recognition from the media. I think your suggestions of more media focus on sporting abilities and funding for womens sport would be a step in the right direction in addressing this issue. Well done!