How+The+Giants+Fall,+Drug+Addiction+in+the+Spotlight.

media type="custom" key="24072342" align="center"

Name: Josh McClure Tutor: Michelle Newcomb Student Number: n7566476

// When I was a hitchhiker on the road // // I had to count on you // // But you needed me to ease the load //

// You didn't see me in Toronto // // When I first tried out some hash // // Smoked some then and I'll do it again // // If I only had some cash // // Only had some cash. //

// Then I tried amphetamines // // And my head was in a glass // // Taped underneath the speedometer wires // // Of my '48 Buick's dash. // // But I knew that wouldn't last. //

// The doctor gave me Valium // // But I still couldn't close my eyes // // I still couldn't close my eyes. //

// Then came paranoia // // And it ran away with me // // I couldn't sign my autograph // // Or appear on TV // // Or see or be seen // // See or be seen //

// A little cocaine went a long long way // // To ease that different load // // But my head did explode // // My head did explode. //

// When I was a hitchhiker on the road // // I had to count on you //

- Neil Young, 2010

// I used to do a little but a little wouldn't do it // // So the little got more and more // // I just keep tryin' to get a little better // // Said a little better than before //

- Guns 'n' Roses 1987

// She don't lie, she don't lie, she don't lie. // // Cocaine //

- Eric Clapton, 1977


 * Elvis ** Presley after a heart attack, Hendrix choking on vomit. Cobain with a high amount of heroin in his system and a gun to the head, Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe for all of 2 minutes before a die-hard fan of a paramedic bought him back to life. Drugs, overdoses and the health risks associated with use are common themes in the music world.

__The Artefact __

The main artefact chosen is the song Hitchhiker by Neil Young, accompanied by other select pieces of songs by Guns n’ Roses and Eric Clapton respectively. Hitchhiker is a semi-autobiographical song Neil Young released in 2010 giving some insight into his own and his close friends’ history with several drugs and the results of prolonged use and abuse of substances throughout his career as a singer-songwriter. The song begins with allusions to Young's experiences with cannabis as an unknown Canadian folk singer, then goes on to describe other side effects of substances from the perspective of the “Hitchhiker”, events which Young had seen happen to friends of his. These events include overdoses and general paranoia leading to reluctance to be seen in public.

__Public Health Issue __

Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry(ASAM, 2011). The public health issue represented by this artefact is the duality of substance glorification in the media and the real world effects of addiction and abuse that are often marginalised in the industry until artists begin to suffer from related health problems. 100’s of songs by just as many musicians mention regular use in a flippant, causal context. These records then go on to sell millions of copies world-wide and make a handful of people rich. Meanwhile governments and organisations are working all over the world to ease the burden of disease that substance abuse causes.



// Motley Crue's Dr Feelgood & Guns 'n' Roses Appetite For Destruction are just 2 examples of music that contains many references to substance abuse //

__Literature Review __

Substance addiction is a growing problem in Australia, with drug use being the cause of 13.1% of suicide deaths in 2011 (ABS, 2013). Overdosing (OD) is a common problem among drug users with a report in 2012, of 607 regular drug users, finding that 33% of users had OD’d on a stimulant substance, most commonly ecstasy, and 31% had OD’d on a depressant substance, most commonly alcohol. (Sindicich, N., & Burns, L. 2013). Apart from overdosing and causing deaths, addiction and substance abuse can have serious effects on long term health. Of the same sample, almost a third of participants reported that they had been experiencing a mental health problem in the 6 months preceding the use of illicit substances, mainly anxiety and depression (Sindicich, N., & Burns, L. 2013, pg xxii). Other health risks associated with substance abuse differ depending on which substances the user is taking. The most common substances mentioned in popular music include; heroin, alcohol and cocaine, and these are the main three this wiki will discuss.

With injecting drugs, such as heroin, the risk comes from sharing needles and other equipment, as well as reusing equipment. Blood borne disease such as AIDS and HIV are common in users with these habits, however the needle and syringe exchange programs currently in operation in Australia have decreased the incidence of these kinds of health risks with only 7% reporting this kind of behaviour, typically with a regular partner or friend(Stafford, J., & Burns, L. 2013, pg. 89). With the 16% of the sample admitting that they had at one time used injecting drugs, the use of a needle and syringe program was very popular among that group (Sindicich, N., & Burns, L. 2013 pg 125). This statistic shows that the continued existence of a needle and syringe program can help to reduce the major health risks associated with injecting substances.

The rate of cocaine use in Australia has been steadily increasing since 1993 especially in the early to late 20’s category (Sindicich, N., & Burns, L. 2013 pg 31). The health risks associated with cocaine come from sudden overdosing and long term use. An overdose of cocaine can cause strokes or lead to the heart shutting down and respiration ceasing, causing almost instant death. Long-term users who often binge on cocaine experience psychosis, hallucinations and will often become aggressive and violent more often than usual (NSW Department of Health, 2011). Cocaine remains one of the most commonly used illicit substances in Australia due to its popularity in the club scene and relatively stable availability within drug culture (Sindicich, N., & Burns, L. 2013, Table 71). The steady increase of use in the last decade shows that cocaine addiction could become a significant problem in the near future.

Drinking is Australia is considered part of our society and is consumed at most social and sporting events. In 2011 – 2012 Australia collectively drank 183.5 million litres of pure alcohol, which amounts to about 2.2 standard drinks for every person over the age of 15 for that period. (ABS, 2013) The 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing survey 8841 Australian adults between the ages of 16 and 85 and found that alcohol abuse was prevalent in 18.3% of respondents, most commonly in males and the younger population.(Teesson, M., Hall, W., Slade, T., Mills, K., Grove, R., Mewton, L., Baillie, A. and Haber, P., 2010). As with any illicit substance addiction, alcohol abuse comes with a range of health risks both sort and long term. Short term risks are mostly physical and include; falling, aggression, lapses in memory and impairment of motor functions. A long term abuser of alcohol faces much more serious consequences of the addiction, such as; cirrhosis of the liver, stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure, and a host of cancer (AIHW, 2013). Despite all these risks, alcohol is the only substance regularly referenced in music that is actually able to be legally purchased.

A major limitation in the way information is gathered about substance abuse is the fact that most of the figures are based on self-reported data, mostly from anonymous surveys. The reason this can be seen as a limitation is because, even with anonymity, people are likely to under-report less desirable outcomes or characteristics and over-report more favoured ones (Van de Mortel, T. F. 2008). The social stigma that comes with being an addict can influence the way that subjects report use of substances, both legal and illegal. It is for this reason that many surveys and data collected about illicit substance abuse may in fact not represent the true number. To combat this most surveys will attempt to gather data on as many people as possible to get a close idea of what the actual rates of abuse and addiction are.



NCETA, 2008 <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This graph show that illicit drug use is beginning to rival tobacco use in Australia, with illicit drugs on an upward trend and tobacco showing a decline.

__<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">Cultural and Social Analysis __

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">Music has a strong connection with any culture both in the past and in current society. Almost every single genre of music has its own specific sub-culture, or groups associated with the style of music eg, punks, metal heads, ravers etc. and the way substance use is portrayed varies depending on the type of music. A type of music sub-culture is not always a small part of society either. In the 60’ and 70’ in the United States, artists such as Bob Dylan, Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) and Jimi Hendrix were seen as the voices of the “hippie” movement which bought the subject of war protests to the headlines of newspapers all over the world.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;"> The song Fortunate Son by CCR gave an excellent example of how the conflict/critical theory, laid out by Karl Marx, was influencing the way that U.S. politics ran. The song showed the gap between the rich and the poor and the way that the government was trying to wrap up the Marxist, communist theory in the “Red White and Blue” of American patriotism. The “Hippie” counter-culture sought to fight this by peacefully protesting the pointless wars of the time, Vietnam in particular, and giving a voice to those who could at any time be forcefully drafted to fight in a conflict that they wanted nothing to do with. The government at the time tried to fight back by attaching a stigma of dirty, lazy pot smokers, to the hippies. The fact that most of the leaders and idols of the hippie movement were known drug users didn’t help to reduce this stigma, however the stigma really only stuck in the more conservative parts of the country and a change toward a more liberal U.S.A. grew with the anti-establishment view of the sub-culture. The popularity of the hippie and counter-culture music at the time showed how big an influence it can have on a society.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">While the drug of choice for that group tended to be the non-violent substances such as cannabis or LSD, the youth culture of today tends to favour more dangerous substances such as cocaine and other party drugs which can have incredibly negative effects on health. These drugs are normally consumed as part of the club/rave/party scene and are not viewed as being as acceptable as cannabis is these days. The social theory that would best represent the way drugs and addiction interact with our current society would be post-modernism. By not forcing on blaming or trying to put-down one specific group of people but rather treat everybody as an individual it can be easier to both treat and prevent addiction. However it can still be difficult with the conflicting messages coming from the music played in clubs and on the radio showing that having a good time is often more important than being responsible. A great example of this is the music video for the Katy Perry song Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F) which shows an otherwise responsible girl being pressured into having a wild party.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">Awareness of the problems that come from substance abuse is important due to the health risks people face as a result, especially in the young adult population. It should be a topic of discussion because anyone can be affected by substance abuse, directly and indirectly. Public health professionals should focus on educating people to recognise signs of addiction, both in themselves and in others. An effective place to start raising awareness for this issue and similar ones is at popular nightclubs in cities and even at popular local pubs and clubs. By raising awareness in places where the only legal substance is allowed to be consumed it can better target those who are at risk of developing addictive habits in other areas.



//"You come up when I get through and I'll autograph your sandals for you.// //That is, if you got any on . . . You need a good haircut. That's all that's// //wrong with you. . . There are two four-letter words I bet you folks don't know:// //'work' and 'soap."// - Gov. George Wallace, at a presidential rally in 1968.

__ Learning Reflections __

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">The artefact I chose gives a good representation of how easily it can be for anyone at any level of society to succumb to addiction and the devastating effects it can have on the person and the people around them. When the health problems of musicians become part of the public news cycle for some reason it will always come as a shock to some people, despite how candid they were about drug use in their music. Amy Winehouse recently passed away from an overdose and people were saying the usual niceties such as “she died too young”. Did she? In one of her songs, Rehab, the first line of the song shows her attitude towards her own addiction, <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">"//They tried to make me go to rehab, I said no, no, no//.” Is it really that surprising that she passed away at a you <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">ng age?

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">I'm not saying that having songs in the hit charts that relate to drugs and alcohol doesn’t necessarily means that it will cause the listeners to start using and form addictions. The prevention efforts from public health professionals should be giving out enough information for people to make their own minds up about use because there is not much that can be done to stifle artists from singing about whatever they want to. The problem starts when these negative messages reach people who possibly don’t understand the effects that use and addiction can have on themselves and the people around them. It might be all fun and games when there is music behind the problem but away from the spotlight addiction doesn’t always have a happy ending, not everyone can live the life of a rockstar and get away with no consequences.

media type="youtube" key="3B0Y3LUqr1Q" width="560" height="315" align="center"

//Brown sugar = heroin//

__ References __

American Society of Addiction Medicine (2011, April 19). //Definition of Addiction//. Retrieved from http://www.asam.org/for-the-public/definition-of-addiction

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013). //Apparent Consumption of Alcohol, Australia, 2011-12// (4307.0.55.001). Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4307.0.55.001main+features32011-12

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013). //Causes of Death, Australia, 2011// (3303.0). Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/A6C7D581530256DDCA257B2E000D76A0?opendocument

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2013). //Excessive alcohol consumption//. Retrieved from http://www.aihw.gov.au/risk-factors-alcohol/

NSW Department of Health (2011, June 1). //Cocaine Factsheet//. Retrieved from http://www0.health.nsw.gov.au/factsheets/drugAndAlcohol/cocaine.html

Sindicich, N., & Burns, L. (2013). //Australian Trends in Ecstasy and Related Drug Markets 2012// (100). Retrieved from EDRS website: http://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/ndarc/resources/National%20IDRS%20report%202012.pdf

Stafford, J., & Burns, L. (2013). //Australian Drug Trends 2012, Findings from the Illicit drug reporting system (IDRS)// (91). Retrieved from Sydney National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales website: http://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/ndarc/resources/National%20IDRS%20report%202012.pdf

Teesson, M., Hall, W., Slade, T., Mills, K., Grove, R., Mewton, L., Baillie, A., & Haber, P. (2010). Prevalence and correlates of DSM-IV alcohol abuse and dependence in Australia: findings of the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. //Addiction//, //105//(12), 2084-2094. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.03096.x

Van de Mortel, T. F. (2008). Faking it: social desirability response bias in self-report research. //Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing//, //25//(4), 40-48. Retrieved from http://epubs.scu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=hahs_pubs