Media is a broad subject, and our world vastly depends on it. However, if we compress it to its fundamental, we can think of any medium to see, listen or read. We need to watch the news, listen to the radio, or even turn to social media for insights. Media can influence and guide us on a critical issue: substance abuse.
Addiction has become a public health issue while adults and teenagers alike seem to be struggling with substances. If these issues are not dealt with soon, they can leave lasting impacts on society. Substance abuse can quickly go from a medical crisis to a social and economic problem. Here’s how the media can help remedy that:
- Create Advertisements
Advertisements like short clips are impactful. They play for a few seconds but can leave a lasting impression. The media can focus on anti-substance advertisements on popular channels and play them across billboards and big screens. Some ads can run on social media sites to inform the public. The more outlets accommodate such ads there is more significant the chance of impact. People may understand the essential harm substances can cause to the population.
- Talk About Rehab Centers
Rehabs are heavily stigmatized. Any institute associated with drug and alcohol recovery gets an automatic shun, and the media can help fix that. They can invite rehab owners and certified professionals to talk shows about substance abuse. They can provide information on rehab centers state-wise to help people find an appropriate institute. Centers such as the Delphi Health Group are worth visiting and learning about. The more people mainstream checking into rehab centers for treatment, the more people will get better. It will also remove the negative imagery on rehab centers and encourage people to support each other.
- Create Animations For Kids
To curb substance awareness, children also need to enter the picture. Children aren’t ignorant of the adults around them. If they see them drinking or abusing drugs, chances are they’ll mimic them. So through the help of animations and easy-to-understand language, the media can encourage children to avoid substances. They can also tell them what they look like and how to say no. These factors play an essential role in preparing children to avoid using substances recreationally. It also makes it easier for children to identify what potential dangers lurk for them in the outside world.
- Propagate A Hashtag
People like hashtags. There are images that you share across the internet with a tagline. After the pictures or the videos cross a certain threshold, they become trending. One such example for creating awareness was the ice bucket challenge in 2014 to create awareness around ALS by dousing yourself in ice-cold water to get the conversation trending. The mainstream media can do something similar for anti-drug abuse. They can create an image or a challenge and make sure it goes viral. All relevant news channels should cover the story, and since people love trending material, it can help with awareness.
- Create Short Documentaries For Schools
Schools can show documentaries and videos aimed at anti-substance abuse. These can educate children on the potential hazards of taking them. The media can always work with professionals and celebrities to talk about substance abuse in an engaging way. They can also provide schools with questionnaires to get students thinking about what they see. The more students can watch such documentaries, the more they can learn about what substance abuse is. Information is the only essential component that can defeat substance abuse.
- Work With The Influencer Culture
Influencers make up a particular population of the media sector. However, these people aren’t celebrities but have almost a celebrity-like stature. Most influencers are available on platforms such as Instagram. They talk about their lives as well as propagate a certain kind of lifestyle. Influencers also do PR. Any mainstream media outlet working to prevent substance abuse can reach out to them. These influencers can share their thoughts on substances and the risk of abusing them. They can also keep a reward system such as a freebie to those who share their video with an appropriate tagline. So the media uses the influencer culture and the incentive system to cause awareness around substances.
- Play Real Life Stories
People also need examples of people who overcame substance abuse. The media can play a significant role by inviting them to talk shows or podcasts and discuss their story. The story can encompass everything from how the person started substance abuse and how they stopped. It can help teenagers and adults gain perspective on how hazardous the road to substance abuse looks like. These people can also present the illnesses and conditions they came down with using substances. These can cause awareness and warn people how the road to substance abuse is a tricky one.
- Invite Doctors To Talk
The other side of substance abuse is prescription pills. While people may have some idea about using drugs recreationally, very few know about prescription pills. By inviting doctors, the media can shed light on how prescription pills need caution too. They can also list these pills and advise viewers on how to use them properly. They can also help viewers understand the signs and symptoms of substance abuse. These can help curb the substance abuse issue.
Wrap Up
The media plays a pivotal role in our lives and has the power of influence. People depend on the media to give them answers, so why not tackle substance abuse? Substance abuse is a menace to society and causes instability all around. So through media channels and influencer culture, there can be a conversation about substance abuse. The media can also use their power to educate children. Through simple animations and documentaries, they can also inform children sufficiently. You can also not go wrong with experts discussing the risks of using substances. All these collectively can help create awareness.