Is loud rock music the gateway to drug use? As a counselor for both in-class and online drug classes I never have believed so.
Despite the fact that rockers are known for talking about drug use and even worse practicing what they preach, I still find it hard to believe that music is a gateway to drug use. You can use just about anything and say it is a gateway.
Some new research reported in the Daily Mail is attempting to prove the link between loud rock music and future drug use and abuse.
A study from The Netherlands found that teens and young adults who spent a lot of time listening to loud music were also more likely to smoke marijuana, binge drink and have sex without a condom.
The study couldn't show that one type of risky behavior led to the other, she pointed out. And it didn't answer another important question: what type of music, exactly, were study participants listening to?
The study surveyed 944 students from inner-city vocational schools, aged 15 to 25, about their music-listening habits and other typical behavior.
Young people who often listed to loud music on MP3 players were twice as likely to have used pot in the last month, compared to non-risky music listeners.
Stay Away from Clubs
Even more frightening was the finding that those who were frequently exposed to music at clubs and concerts were six times more likely than people who weren't to binge drink and twice as likely to have risky sex with inconsistent condom use.
I believe there are definitely flaws with the study, namely whether young people are listening to music that glorifies risky behavior and making decisions about drinking, drugs or sex based on that.
It will be interesting to follow future studies. We need to continue to do our best to keep our youth off of drugs. More drug classes and social counseling will always play a strong role in the fight on drug use.
