Drug use has become more and more popular over the years, partly due to individuals idolizing celebrities and/ or stars. Public figures like Paris Hilton and Lindsey Loan, coupled with teen idols like Miley Cyrus have sent messages to individuals that drugs are glamorous, when in fact they are anything but glamorous! After seeing news releases about Paris Hilton’s cocaine use and Lindsey Loan’s drug abuse, many individuals from the younger generation feel that it is acceptable and okay to engage in such activities. Even Olympic gold medalists, like Michael Phelps, was caught on “You Tube” smoking marijuana. He apologized and said that he had made a mistake, however the damage was done. Many young fans had already seen him and felt that if he participated in drug activities, that it was alright for them to do it, too! Yes, celebs do entice their fans to follow in their footsteps, and this has been seen in the past few years. So, how can this be stopped? Well, the news media must quit glamorizing such actions.
The attention that these public figures receive from these drug related activities only maximizes the desire of their fans to follow in their footsteps. Since New York is the entertainment capital of the world, this state is really being hit hard with illicit drug activities.

Another aspect to look at is the way that these entertainment organizations bring in illicit drugs for their parties, etc. They seem to smuggle just about any type of drug into the state of New York without being searched and/ or investigated, only because of their connections and “stations in life’. This is the reason that law enforcement has a hard time keeping a “cap” on illicit drug abuse. With many individuals becoming addicted every day, it is fast becoming a detriment to New York and its society.

So, the next time you see a picture on television of a celeb looking “high”, or a video of a star on You Tube, don’t even watch it; just turn I off. Without the support of viewers, the stations and sponsors will finally get the hint that these negativisms are not popular and quit airing them. Then they will not be so apt to influence those young fans who want to be just like their favorite celeb!