Drugs and the Media: An Introduction

Mass media accounts of drugs and drug use are a daily occurrence and the focus of much inquiry and debate. In this special issue, nine articles consider the role and impact of a specific type of mass medium in the depiction of drugs, drug use, and drug users. Media include television programs, newspapers, films, public service advertising and product-specific marketing campaigns, and the world of the Internet, including YouTube and message boards. Media accounts of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and prescription drugs such as antidepressants, and more broadly, drug abuse and addictions are examined through a variety of methods from the humanities and social sciences.