Drugs and Alcohol in Mass Media Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Drugs and Alcohol in Mass Media - Term Paper Example Movies of the mid-twentieth century and later of the American origin showed individual characters as heavy drunkards and social destroyers. Many of them had the protagonists play the role of alcoholics who had to conceal their psychological traits for some untold reasons. Some of the observations suggest that, films from the American, German and Canadian culture exposed male characters as alcoholics and barmen with a view to tell the evil sides liquor as it is a destroyer of personal and social life of individuals; while in French movies, alcohol consumption was treated as a family routine (Blocker, Fahey & Tyrrell, 2003, p.238). The debate on how movies and other popular culture demonstrate the role of both men and women as stakeholders in the world of alcohol invites great attention. Not only that a scene involving alcohol consumption gains concentration of the audience, but also it encourages their internal urge for making such light moments. The presentation of violence in visual media through gang wars hired assassinations and communal issues etc present in movies and video clips are also associated with a drinking background. This kind of exposure to alcohol-motivated stimulation of courage grabs the attention of the teenagers who normally make a sense to imitate some of the things they obtain from the source videos. Narcotic drugs are generally considered as an addictive substance; therefore its consumption is observed as a challenge beyond the individual boundaries. Unlike alcohol, drugs of different kinds have varying ranges of influence on their users. Regular use of narcotic drugs causes irresistible addiction which makes the users mentally unstable and physically discouraged from carrying out their daily activities. According to a report by Sacramento-El Dorado Medical Society (1990), addiction is redefined as the compulsory and uncontrolled abuse of psychoactive materials by individuals irrespective of their harmful impacts. Some of the drugs can even generate violent behavior traits in them, which may prove harmful to their families and other members of the society.