Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

July 5, 2008 6:25:24 AM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

Back to the grid

US Music Drunk on Booze and Drugs

Posted Feb 7, 08 7:27 PM CST in Gossip,  Arts & Living    Editor's Choice

(Newser) – Turns out 2005's A-one songs aren't so AA-friendly. A study of the top 279 tunes of that year in the US found 30% of the lyrics referenced illicit substances, mostly positively, reports Reuters. The average 16-year-old racks up 2.4 listening hours a day, which funnels 30,000 alcohol- and marijuana-laced messages into impressionable ears each year, the report says.

Rap was the leading culprit, offending three times out of four. But country singers are no saints, using chestnuts like "Tequila makes her clothes fall off" 36% of the time. The study's lead researcher acknowledges such lyrics are nothing new: "It's not going to be feasible or even desirable to censor these messages." The study drew no conclusions about the music's effect on youth.

Source Reuters

Editor Recommended

Related News

  • Sex Please, We're Drunk

    May 11, 08 9:09 AM CDT
    Sex Please, We're Drunk Young people intentionally binge on booze and drugs to improve their sex lives, according to new research. A third of European men under the age of 36 and a quarter of women said they drank to increase their chance of sex—and were more likely to engage in unsafe sex when they were high, reports the BBC. Cocaine, ecstasy, and marijuana were used to enhance arousal or prolong sex, according to the study published in BMC Public Health. More »

  • Harsh Reality: Richie Draws 4-Day Sentence

    Jul 27, 07 4:14 PM CDT
    Harsh Reality: Richie Draws 4-Day Sentence Giving the cast of The Simple Life an 0-for-2 record in the California courts, Nicole Richie was sentenced to 4 days in jail today after pleading guilty to driving the wrong way on an LA freeway while under the influence of drugs. The skeletal starlet must attend 21 days of alcohol-education classes and pay a $2,048 fine, E! Online reports. More »

  • Celebs Turning Rehab Into Joke: Experts

    Jul 26, 07 10:29 AM CDT
    Celebs Turning Rehab Into Joke: Experts The debauched lifestyles of celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears are turning substance-abuse rehab into a punch line, making light of a process that helps thousands of people each year, say experts. Lohan was arrested on suspicion of DUI this week just days after finishing rehab; in February, Spears checked into rehab three times—in one week. More »

Singer Joe Nichols accepts the horizon award during the 37th annual Country Music Association Awards show in Nashville, Tenn. on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2003. The award is given to the most promising new performer....   (Associated Press)
Bottles of Smirnoff Ice are seen on a cooler shelf at a store in Albany, N.Y., Monday, Jan. 28, 2008. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)   (Associated Press)
Rapper 50 Cent performs on the Pontiac Garage Stage at the 944 Magazine/Pontiac party in Scottsdale, Ariz. in this Jan. 31, 2008 file photo. (AP Photo/ Matt Sayles, file)   (Associated Press)
prev    next
play

Threads (1 of 2)

Tags

drugs  • alcohol  • marijuana  • alcohol abuse  • country music  • rapper


Loading...

Loading...

Related Threads: Music, War on Drugs

Next story from this section »

Today's Most Popular


Other Arts & Living Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »