Could Music Industry Help Reduce Overdose Deaths?

Music industry has seen lot of overdose deaths among its people. It happens quite often that someone blessed with great talent zooms to stardom in a couple of weeks but cannot handle it. The joy and thrill of sudden fame is not as great as you think it is.

There comes with it the responsibility of managing the demands of fame and many are unable to cope with it. Rehabs, relapses, bereavement caused by the death of a loved one – all these result due to overdose when you do not know how to manage fame.

Although drug overdose is not unique to the music or entertainment industry, the most popular people who die of it belong to these. In the light of this fact, perhaps the onus on reducing overdose deaths lie with the music industry people.

It is the need of the hour in some countries such as the USA where drug overdose deaths have doubled in the past decade. That is why such countries are at the forefront of observing and organising for the International Drug Overdose Awareness Day, observed on 31st August. They are looking for strategies to counter such tendencies in people and it was suggested that music industry could play a big role in this.

Apart from passing favourable laws and making available medicines that can prevent or reverse the process of addiction, the radio stations can play the music of bands who lost their illustrious member due to overdose. The music industry with the help of radio stations can bring about more awareness about the lives lost and how to go about preventing them.

Easy ways of addressing the problem could be discussed in the office, at home and with friends at social gatherings. More specifically, the people need to insist on authorities to immediately implement those measures that can prevent the occurrence of overdose deaths.

In countries such as India, cases of overdose deaths have also been seen. One popular example is that of the great film maker Guru Dutt, who died from overdose of sleeping pills. Expanding access to drugs such as noloxone, which reverses the effect of opium and restores breathing, one can bring down the incidence of overdose deaths. Such information need to spread and people of the music industry should be involved in doing it, in all countries of the world. Moreover, people need to be made aware about recognising, preventing and responding to overdose. First, they should start to talk about it more.



Read more articles on Substance Abuse Depressants or Sedative Prevention.