Drugs and the music industry have a very close relationship. Drugs have been associated with the music industry for decades, dating as far back to the nineteen-twenties. Many popular songs have lyrics that mention the use of drugs. The famous street drug known as ‘Molly’ is featured in a significant amount of songs. Nowadays, it is common to see many musicians on drugs and many of them are struggling from drug abuse. Musicians are more prone to become addicts than others because of the factors that come along with becoming involved with the music industry. Drug abuse has plagued the music industry for many years and environment, wealth, dealers, permissiveness, youth, peer pressure, life on the road, creativity, performance enhancement, dopamine, genetic predisposition, past drug obsessions, and coping mechanisms are the key factors that cause musicians to become addicted.
The environment, wealth, and dealers that come along with success in the music industry lead musicians to their lives of addiction. The environment of musicians is very chaotic and lively. Playing music in a nighttime, party atmosphere surrounded by the drunk and high promotes the use of drugs. Musicians usually play in popular settings for drugs and alcohol, such as concert halls and nightclubs. Because of this, it is very common to find drugs at these venues. The wealth that comes from the music industry is used to fuel this habit. Wealthy musicians are the ones most targeted by dealers. Most wealthy musicians have money to spare and tend to go on excessive binges. They end up buying drugs in large bulk because of the amount of money they are making, luring drug dealers. Drug dealers benefit from selling drugs in two ways. First, they gain money from the buyer and second, they gain social benefits. They become associated with famous musicians and are added to their social circle, bringing them more buyers.
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The music industry has had a problem with drug abuse for many years and permissiveness, youth, peer pressure, and life on the road are some of the main reasons it happens. Because musicians have very unique and special skills, they are very hard to replace. These musicians are aware of how they cannot be replaced so they assume they are free to do whatever they want and think there are no consequences. Young musicians end up using drugs because of their lack of maturity and want to fit in. Their inexperience causes them to make bad decisions that are enlarged by their wealth and fame. The young admire qualities like being fearless and taking risks so taking drugs is seen as ‘cool’. To keep up their appearance many musicians will use drugs and influence others like their bandmates to do the same. Musicians on tour end up using most of their free time using drugs. Touring makes musicians bored and stressed during their time going from concert to concert. Also, musicians have a lot of empty time and their lives are quite inactive during the time period they are not touring or recording. There is a ‘void’ in the lives of musicians and drugs help fill that void.
Creativity, dopamine, and performance enhancement can cause a musician to abuse drugs. An excuse musicians use to justify the use of drugs is that it enhances their creativity. The big question has been if drugs really affect the brain and make people more creative. Multiple studies like psychologist Mark Griffiths’ and George Koob’s have tested if drugs enhance creativity. Drugs do not increase creativity, but creative people, like musicians, are more prone to becoming drug abusers. Griffiths’ study found that creative people are more prone to use drugs but there is no direct link that states drugs enhance creativity. Koob found that drugs do have an effect on the brain, but it does not make someone more creative. Koob’s research found that the drugs activate the brain’s reward system that contains the amygdala, ventral striatum, and frontal cortex which uses dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in brain regions that control movement, emotion, motivation, and pleasure. Drugs affect the brain’s communication system, disrupting the way nerves process, receive, and send information, causing the brain to bathe in excessive amounts of dopamine. Musicians get addicted to overstimulate their brains with dopamine because it gives them euphoric, happy effects. Musicians also rely on performance enhancing drugs simply to ‘play harder’.
The reasons as to why musicians are so prone to becoming drug abusers involve genetic predisposition, past drug obsessions, and coping mechanisms. Some say that musicians who end up using drugs are genetically predisposed to them. They explained once a musician becomes an addict, it is not possible for them to become sober. This theory is not efficient because musicians become addicted more often than any other professions. Musicians are three to four times more likely to use drugs than any other professionals. Genetic predisposition could play a part in a musician’s drug abuse, but it would be very unlikely. Musicians can be addicted to drugs before they even enter the music industry. Along with drugs, mental illness has plagued the music industry for many years. Many musicians have been diagnosed with predominantly depression or anxiety. Psychologists have noticed a significant amount of mental health disorders among musicians. There is a strong relationship between substance abuse and mental health. Musicians use drugs as coping mechanisms. Due to the high rate of mental illnesses among musicians they turn to drugs as an escape. The music industry is a high-pressure environment and is very fast paced. They have to live up to the high standards of their record labels, fans, and themselves. The music industry is highly competitive so some musicians turn to drugs to cope with the fact that someone did better than them and their talent was not enough. Drugs are mostly used to help musicians cope with their psychological discord.
Musicians are so commonly drug abusers because of the environment, wealth, dealers, permissiveness, youth, peer pressure, and life on the road that come with success in the music industry, along with creativity, performance enhancement, dopamine, genetic predisposition, past drug obsessions, and coping mechanisms that drugs create. Musicians usually play at venues where drugs can commonly be found. Wealthy musicians are the biggest targets for drug dealers. Many in the music industry feel there are less consequences because they are irreplaceable and their youth makes them irresponsible. The use of drugs is highly enforced because peers are using too. Because performers’ lives are so active while on tour, they become bored during their spare time between tours and spend their time using drugs. They use the excuse that drugs cause the brain to become more creative, but all it does is release excessive amounts of dopamine. Some simply use drugs to enhance their performance. Musicians’ past and mental health lead them to use drugs as coping mechanisms. Drugs have plagued the music industry for many decades and are often glamorized. Over one hundred successful musicians have passed away due to drug addiction and many more suffer from it.
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