Title:Substance Use Portrayal in Oscar-nominated Movies
Volume: 13
Issue: 3
Author(s): João Mauricio Castaldelli-Maia*, Felipe Gil, Antonio Ventriglio, Julio Torales, Ligia Florio, Helena F. Moura, Arthur Guerra de Andrade, Francisco Lotufo-Neto and Dinesh Bhugra
Affiliation:
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical School, ABC Health University Center, Santo Andre, SP,Brazil
Keywords:
Movies, cinema, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, stress/tension.
Abstract:
Background: As one of the forms of media and art most consumed in the world, Oscar-
nominated movies should have their drug use representation monitored because of possibly influencing
but also reflecting society’s behavior.
Objective: The present study aims to investigate drug use representation in scenes from movies
nominated for the Academy Awards (Oscar) from 2008-2011 through media content analysis.
Methods: 437 scenes from Oscar-nominated movies (best film, best actor and best actress categories)
showing drug consumption and/or its effects were assessed. Each drug represented and identified
in a given scene (i.e., drug use incident) was counted as a unit for the present study (n = 515).
Survey settings were used to control for over- or under-estimation of the prevalence of a variable in
a given year or movie.
Results: All the Oscar-nominated movies portrayed at least one scene of drug use. There was a
massive predominance of alcohol and tobacco in movies, with a high use among men who also use
drugs, habitually or occasionally, but related to stress/tension, predominantly at home. However,
there was a significant progressive increase in the use of drugs other than alcohol and tobacco, multiple
drugs, and by women.
Conclusion: These findings echo epidemiological studies on substance use in western countries, an
overall trend towards greater home drug use representation and gender convergence since 1970,
which increased since 2000. Monitoring drug use representation in Oscar-nominated movies may
represent an important public health tool.
