Kids+are+cool,+drugs+are+not.

Student Name: Minh Pham Student Number: N8842141 Tutor: Jess Rodgers

**Kids are cool, Drugs are not.** media type="custom" key="24294346" align="center"

**The Kids - Eminem, 2000.** __**The Artefact:**__ 'The Kids' by Eminem is a song that he wrote which was included as a bonus song on his Marshall Mathers LP. It tells tales of how certain illicit drugs can affect a person and everyone around them. The message is able to be portrayed across the audiences successfully as during the 2000's, Eminem broke through and became popular and is lyrically proficient. The song also went by the pseudonym "Drugs Are Bad M'Kay?". __**The Public Health Issue:**__ The public health issue the song represent is the direct and collateral consequences of illicit drug use through a few clever tales of how each drug affects you and the people around you. The three drugs used as examples in the song are marijuana, ecstasy and mushrooms. According to the Austrailian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), these drugs are in the top 5 most used drugs amongst Australians aged 14 years and older. With current relevance to modern day usage, the issue remains as the consequences of illicit drug use.

__**Literature Review:**__

Drugs is defined, by the Oxford dictionary as "a substance which has a physiological when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body." Therefore the examples used (marijuana, ecstasy and mushrooms) fit into this category and are all illicit under Australian law. The AIHW 2010 National Drug Safety Household Survey (Published in 2011) reported that 7.3 million people have used illicit drugs before and that 3 million have used illicit drugs in the 12 months prior to the survey. The Australian Federal Police list the major effects of that illicit drugs impose on the body. These effects are confusion, anxiety, paranoia, panic attacks, nausea, schizophrenic and psychotic behaviour, hostile, aggressive and violent behaviour, severe mental and emotional disturbance and possible permanent mental illness as well as potential permanent damage to the brain, kidney, liver and heart. Marijuana, otherwise known as cannabis, was found to be the most commonly used drug in Australia with approximately 2 million people using it in the previous 12 months before the survey (AIHW, 2011). Use of marijuana can lead to increase in risk of experience psychotic symptoms, and while it may intensify schizophrenia symptoms, it may also precipitate it in those who have a personal or family history of the disorder states Joanne Ross, in the National Drug Strategy's 2nd edition report on epidemiology, use patterns and harms associated with illicit drugs. It is found that, by far, unemployed people and students are the most prevalent users of marijuana (AIHW, 2011). Ecstasy, formally known as MDMA (a drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine classes of drugs) was found to be the second most commonly used drug in Australia, predominantly by people with higher socioeconomic status and those within the age bracket of 20-29 (AIHW, 2011). Esctasy can cause dehydration, neuorlogical harm such as memory and brain function impairment and psychological harm such as anxiety. On top of this, users of esctasy also suffer from a 'cooldown' effect while the drug is wearing off and the effects of the cooldown can be so severe and as such, the users devise their own methods of coping with the pain (Ross, 2007). Last, but definitely not least in effect, mushrooms. Mushrooms, more commonly known as magic mushrooms, belong to the hallucinogen drug group and are accounted as the 3rd most commonly used illicit drug in Australia (AIHW, 2011). The information for hallucinogens are much more referred to as a whole and are thus generalised overall. As the name suggests, hallucinogens are a group of drugs that affect the user’s perceptions of reality by distorting sensations, thoughts, sense of time, self-awareness and emotions; essentially causing them to hallucinate (DASSA, 2006). Use of hallucinogens were found to be 8.8% of Australians aged 14 years or older, with a predominant target group of 20-29 year olds (AIHW, 2011). Along with these risks that hallucinogens and drugs impose, they are most commonly taken in conjunction with alcohol. However, the side effects of hallucinogens and MDMA cause the body to drink more alcohol before feeling intoxicated and thus poses a risk as it can lead to polydrug abuse as well as alcohol poisoning (Ross, 2007). Below is a graph that compares total drug use with recent drug use in the 2010 National Drug Safety Household Survey.

Recent and lifetime illicit drug use, people aged 14 years or older - 2010 AIHW The graph depicts which drugs are most commonly used and which aren’t. As you can see, the three most commonly used drugs are the ones exemplified in the artefact. However, hallucinogens have seen a decrease in usage in the recent months of the survey. The next graph below is from 2004 part of the National Drug Strategy’s research in usage patterns. It shows similar values for most of the major addictive drugs, with a slightly lower percentage of users. Since then, the major addictive drugs have grown in popularity and even the smallest rise is of statistical significance (AIHW, 2011).

Prevalence of drug use in Australia - 2004 National Drug Safety Survey Although these statistics provide as concrete evidence for the argument in hand, 42.1% of people surveyed were mostly concerned by excessive alcohol use rather than any other drug. This was followed by tobacco use, and then cannabis use with 15.4% and 11.4% respectively (AIHW, 2011). With respect to this however, the majority of the population, 73.3%, had claimed they were not interested in illicit drug use and almost half the population, 47.0%, also stating they did not want to try due to health and addiction reasons. This suggests that the majority of the population is well educated and protected against illicit drug use in Australia.

__ **Cultural and Social** ____ **Analysis:** __

The issue with society is that the flow of information is strongly controlled by the media and thus affecting the younger audiences and victims of illicit drug use. The media have four key methods that allow for them to do so, first one is achieved by setting the agenda, secondly, the selective presentation of information, thirdly, indirectly shaping individual and community attitudes towards risk and lastly, impacting political debate and decision making. These all affect the population as a whole as the media, the internet, television, radio and print have a strong control of information due to being the only sources of information access. For example, media coverage of the escalating heroin-related problems in Australia played a strong role in generating interest in heroin overdoses, framing public discourse in terms of a health and/or criminal issue and affecting political decisions (Dillon, et al., 2004). Further more, many of the younger generation listen to music that is on the radio, which is selected by how popular each song is. Many of the songs on the radio are of pop genre that tell tales of how much drugs the artist does and the related amount of fun they also have whilst doing so. This is strongly exemplified in songs such as 'Molly' by Tyga which raps about taking MDMA and marijuana, as well as the song '23' by various artists that condone illicit drug use. Of course these are American songs but they make their way to Australian shores due to popularity and the internet and thus affects how young Australians perceive drug use. These are just two examples, there are many more songs out from the U.S. that promote illicit drug use. However, the media is also a great way to promote and campaign for the safe use of illicit drugs as well as abstinence and prevention. The internet has been the recent predominant media outlet of choice to campaign against illicit drug use in Australia as well as provide information on the consequences.

__**Anaylsis of Artefact and Learning Recflection:**__ The artefact is indeed a song from an American artist, however, the song expressed the dangers and voices the consequences of illicit drug use through the imagery of a teacher lecturing school kids. The artefact is appropriate and relevant within the data presented as well as the data collected years later. The artefact is something many younger Australians are able to relate to as Eminem is considered on of the 'Kings of Rap' and due to his popularity, he is able to widely spread the message of why drugs are bad and how they affect you and those around you. The three situations portrayed in the song are an older brother that smokes marijuana, an individual who is peer pressured into over dosing on MDMA and the abuse of hallucinogens in young people. The analysis of the information performed for this task has left me enlightened about the use of illicit drugs and the staggering figures of the population that actually use illicit drugs. With all the information provided and presented on the internet that show the direct and collateral consequences of drug use, I am now equipped with a safe approach to illicit drug use. This task has impacted my learning greatly, as well as the group panel presentation, and in the future I am able to turn to peer-reviewed, scholarly sources for information.

__**Reflections:**__

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__** References: **__

Australian Crime Commission (2011). Illicit Drug Data Report. Retrieved October 25, 2013, from []

Australian Federal Police (n.d.). How Illegal Drugs Affect You. Retrieved October 25, 2013, from []

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australian Government. (2011). 2010 National Drug Strategy Household Survey Report. (25). Retrieved from Australian Institute of Health and Welfare website []

Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia (2006). Illicit Drugs and their Effects. Retrieved October 25, 2013, from []

Health & Welbeing (2004) Drugs and their Effects. Retrieved October 26, 2013, from []

National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre, Commonwealth of Australia. (2007). Illicit drug use in Australia: Epidemiology, use patterns and associated harm. (2). Retrieved from Commonwealth of Australia, National Drug Safety website []

Rap Genius (n.d.). Eminem - The Kids Lyrics. Retrieved October 22, 2013, from []