There are concerns that the music industry has been over-run with
drugs and alcohol amid a culture of ‘self-destruction’ among young
male and female musicians and entertainers alike. Many have
embraced the dark side of the music industry and ended up in more
trouble than they courted. Does the music industry overly glamorize
and perpetuate the use and abuse of drugs and alcohol?
An entertainer operates in an environment that gives positive
reinforcement to damaging behaviours like none other, and
hundreds of thousands -find themselves coping with the fallout
from that. Celebrities may be at special risk but speaking with some
stakeholders in the Nigerian entertainment industry, they revealed
that they are addressing the menace. The shocking stories are
familiar – lives being cut short and dreams shattered by costant
alcohol and drug abuse. Cocaine contributed to Whitney Houston’s
death. She drowned in her bathtub in a Beverly Hills hotel. Michael
Jackson died not far from the same location in 2009 after his
doctor administered a lethal dose of the sedative Propofol. British
singer Amy Winehouse was troubled by addiction and died of
alcohol poisoning. In recent years, there have been excessive
consumption of drugs and alcohol among Nigerian entertainers but
many of them are still grappling to manage its damaging effects.
Experts say alcohol and drug abuse is a problem in the general
population but entertainers are especially vulnerable because of the
long hours on the road and the intense demands of keeping up with
performaces. There’s a lot of down time, a lot of traveling, a lot of
boredom, a lot of sitting, a lot of doing nothing and more. Drug and
alcohol abuse is a special risk for those who find fame and fortune
as performers. Some people around the artistes can be enablers and
others may turn a blind eye to the addiction. Successful artistes
are creative and driven, and some have underlying emotional
problems that fuel addiction and need treatment. Some young
musicians think drug use is part of being creative. The availability
of the so-called ‘cool factor’ which is quite disapproving, play a
bigger part in the entertainment business than other professions.
The industry is less tolerant of drug use now than a few years ago.
Those who work with celebrities say the key to dealing with drug
abuse is early intervention, effective treatment and a support
system. They say recovery can be a lifelong process. In the music
industry, there is majority because they see it as a source of
inspiration. Music is one of the most influential art forms of
today’s society, and drugs, especially to today’s youth, just add to
the attractiveness of it all. The music industry is a fast paced
glamorous world that many of us will never be part of. In many
instances, there is more than meets the eyes. Drugs, especially
heroin, have risen in use dramatically. Kurt Cobain was the most
high-profiled drug-related rock star since the 1970′s and was still
battling heroin addiction when he committed suicide in 1994. The
number of top acts that have been linked to heroin is staggering:
Everclear, Snoop Dogg (now Snoop Lion), Dr. Dre, Blind Melon, Red
Hot Chili Peppers, The Breeders and many more. Ironically, these
acts have sold millions of albums. Since kids emulate popular
musicians, what is there to keep them from emulating their drugs
riden life styles? Moreover, what’s to keep the majority of the
population from doing the same? Nowadays, there is not a person in
the world who hasn’t heard about the rising spate of drug use and
eventual abuse. Now, drugs are cheaper and easier to get than ever.
Many acts in the music industry who are struggling with the
available excesses worry that if they turn their backs on drug, they
will lose what makes their music good or what makes them appealing
to their fans. It’s simply not true. It is better to control it or you
will lose your career. If you’re lucky, that is all you will lose and not
your life. Artistes’ bad behaviors shouldn’t in any way be interesting
to the society. It should be frowned at and greatly discouraged.
You don’t need to drink or use drugs uncontrollably to create good
music. Artistes will always find someone around to tell them that it
is okay that they drank too much to get on stage. The downside is
that those people are either using such artistes to get a temporary
bit of excitement only to abandon them to their chaos as they
return to their stable lives and families, or they are equally out of
control and will bring you down further with them. Here is a sound
warning; know who really cares about you and listen to them, even if
you don’t like it! Another method is to keep your communal areas,
including the bus/van, hotel rooms, etc, alcohol/drug free zones.
The same goes for studios and practice spaces. Tackling substance
abuse is always a process, and for a musician, the road is absolutely
littered with pitfalls and temptations. Tripping up is normal and
expected but it does not translate into failure. Get help working
through the process. The support of your friends and family is
crucial, but look outside of that circle for advice as well. You can
also ask around in the music community to find out what has helped
other musicians.
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