Teens Listening to Lyrics about Marijuana More Likely to Smoke Pot
New research suggests that if your teen’s music involves lyrics that mention marijuana, he or she is more likely to smoke pot. The study, published online in the journal Addiction, focused on 959 ninth-graders. The average study participant listened to 21.8 hours of music weekly and heard some 40 marijuana references daily, according to Msnbc.com.
About 12% of the participants said they were current marijuana users, and 32% said they had tried the drug previously.
“Students who listen to music with the most references to marijuana are almost twice as likely to have used the drug than their peers whose musical tastes favor songs less focused on substance use,” said Dr. Brian Primack, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researcher and the study leader.
The researchers noted that exposure to marijuana in music was not associated with other high-risk behaviors such as excessive alcohol consumption. “This suggests that there is a real link between the marijuana lyrics and marijuana use,” Primack said.
Dr. Shari Corbitt, senior executive director of Promises Treatment Centers, says this doesn’t mean that parents should start to monitor (and censor) their kids’ music. Other factors such as peer pressure and disruptions in the family’s routine are much more likely to encourage smoking pot, she said.
“Just listening to music lyrics in isolation is not the specific problem,” Corbitt said. “Kids aren’t listening to certain music lyrics and running out and buying bags of marijuana. What we find is that the great influencing factors for pot use with adolescents are peer groups and disruptions in their family or origin.”
Family problems could be anything from a divorce to medical issues with a parent, she said. “The study suggests that certain music lyrics give the whole culture of smoking marijuana a certain positive cachet,” Corbitt said.
“It is more likely to be family problems, isolation and the lack of support from parents who may be dealing with their own stressors and who may not know how to reach out and access services for their teen.”
