How Do Young People Respond to Heroin in the Media?

The recent death of Philip Seymour Hoffman from a heroin overdose was an acute reminder of the many thousands of people whose lives are claimed by the same fate each year. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that heroin was responsible for 100,000 deaths in 2012 worldwide, with some 581 of those being in Scotland, according to the National Records of Scotland.

High-profile media events certainly serve to spark common interest in substance misuse. A popular current example is the surge in Google searches for the drug ‘Quaaludes’ after the premiere of The Wolf of Wall Street, which features copious consumption of the substance. Another is the viral video ‘The How and Why of Heroin’, a simple reading by a voice actor of a comment made on Reddit in response to the question ‘What does it feel like to be on heroin?’

One can’t help but wonder what the knock-on effects of these media events are amongst young people. Presumably in relation to Quaaludes not much has changed, as the substance is almost impossible to get hold of, having fallen out of production in 1984. Meanwhile, the recovering heroin user on Reddit speaks of the ‘nice’ and ‘happy’ highs of heroin before the life-destroying crash of dependency. The video is moving to watch – but perhaps has also made people’s curiosity about the highs grow, particularly because of his description of the initial mental and emotional benefits.

The question is worth asking in relation to young people, who learn about such subjects as substance misuse not only through their peers, but also increasingly through digital media. That is why the youth work and peer education projects run throughout Scotland are so important – so that questions and experiences surrounding substance misuse can be discussed in the open, face-to-face, with session leaders who know the facts.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman made a prophetic statement to fellow actor Aaron Sorkin behind the scenes of the film Charlie Wilson’s War: “If one of us dies of an overdose, probably 10 people who were about to won’t.” He was suggesting that if their deaths were in the news, it would help 10 heroin users to give it up, or at least to be more careful. We can only hope that he was right.

For more information on the work that Fast Forward does with young people and harm reduction, visit www.fastforward.org.uk