New Hampshire estimates for substance use 2004 and 2005: A summary compiled from the national surveys on drug use and health

Background: As one of the forms of media and art most consumed in the world, Oscar-nominated movies should have their drug use representation monitored because of possibly influencing but also reflecting society’s behavior. Objective: To investigate drug use representation in scenes from movies nominated for the Academy Awards (Oscar) from 2008-2011, through media content analysis. Methods: 437 scenes from Oscar-nominated movies (best film, best actor and best actress categories) showing drug consumption and/or its effects were assessed. Each drug represented and identified in a given scene (i.e., drug use incident) was counted as a unit for the present study (n = 515). Survey settings were used to control for over- or under-estimation of the prevalence of a variable in a given year or movie. Results: All the Oscar-nominated movies portrayed at least one scene of drug use. There was a massive predominance of alcohol and tobacco in movies, with a high use among men who also use drugs, habitually or occasionally, but related to stress/tension, predominantly at home. However, there was a significant progressive increase in the use of drugs other than alcohol and tobacco, multiple drugs, and by women. Conclusion: These findings echo epidemiological studies on substance use in western countries, an overall trend towards greater home drug use representation and gender convergence since 1970, which increased since 2000. Monitoring drug use representation in Oscar-nominated movies may represent an important public health tool.

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Does the Presence of On-Site Medical Services at Outdoor Music Festivals Affect Attendees’ Planned Alcohol and Recreational Drug Use?

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine ◽

10.1017/s1049023x21000613 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

Alison Hutton ◽

Matthew Brendan Munn ◽

Sydney White ◽

Peter Kara ◽

Jamie Ranse

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

Drug Use ◽

Great Majority ◽

Safety Net ◽

Medical Services ◽

Future Research ◽

Recreational Drug ◽

Recreational Drugs ◽

Mandatory Requirement ◽

Recreational Drug Use

Abstract Background: Dedicated on-site medical services have long been recommended to improve health outcomes at mass-gathering events (MGEs). In many countries, they are being reviewed as a mandatory requirement. While it is known that perceptions of risk shape substance use plans amongst outdoor music festival (OMF) attendees, it is unclear if attendees perceive the presence of on-site medical services as a part of the safety net. The aim of this paper is to better understand whether attendees’ perceptions of on-site medical services influence high-risk behaviors like alcohol and recreational drug use at OMFs. Method: A questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of attendees entering and attending two separate 20,000-person OMFs; one in Canada (Festival A) and one in New Zealand (Festival B). Responses focused on demographics, planned alcohol and recreational drug use, perceptions of medical services, and whether the absence of medical services would impact attendees’ planned substance use. Results: A total of 851 (587 and 264 attendees for Festival A and Festival B, respectively) attendees consented and participated. Gender distribution was equal and average ages were 23 to 25. At Festival A, 48% and 89% planned to use alcohol and recreational drugs, respectively, whereas at Festival B, it was 92% and 44%. A great majority were aware and supportive of the presence of medical services at both festivals, and a moderate number considered them a factor in attendance and something they would not attend without. There was significant (>10%) agreement (range 11%-46%; or 2,200-9,200 attendees for a 20,000-person festival) at both festivals that the absence of medical services would affect attendees’ planned use of alcohol and recreational drugs. Conclusions: This study found that attendees surveyed at two geographically and musically distinct OMFs had high but differing rates of planned alcohol and recreational drug use, and that the presence of on-site medical services may impact attendees’ perceptions of substance use risk. Future research will aim to address the limitations of this study to clarify these findings and their implications.

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