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Argentina is suffering from a drug crisis. Young people all over the country are becoming addicted, and musician Cristian "el Pity" lvarez, leader of Argentine rock band Intoxicados, he has been accused of causing the problem. El Pity's lifestyle, music, his well-publicized drug use, and his iconic influence have placed him at the forefront of popular drug use. El Pity, who has been personally struggling with drug abuse for a long time, always asks his audience not to follow in his footsteps. He's been quoted numerous times as saying that he does not think it is ok for anyone to do drugs. But to many people, especially those in authority, El Pity's proclamations don't match his actions. Over the last decade, the number of Argentines taking drugs like marijuana and "paco" (Argentine slang for freebase cocaine), have increased dramatically. Many blame this rise in drug use on popular culture -- specifically, the music of Intoxicados. They argue that the rise in drug use is partially caused by music that glorifies drugs. Musicians, like El Pity, supposedly glorify drug use with their music and behavior, and they are idolized and emulated. These critics might be right -- El Pity's band name "Intoxicados" is Argentine slang for getting high. There is no doubt that El Pity and his band Intoxicados are very popular in Argentina. Anywhere you go in Argentina, you're sure to hear one of his songs playing as someone's ringtone. El Pity's notoriety has been growing for a long time -- you'll find the logo for El Pity's previous band, Viejas Locas, spray painted onto nearly all the walls in Argentina. In bars and nightclubs, you'll hear his songs. When you're out in public, you'll see several people wearing Intoxicados or Viejas Locas shirts. Popular media features El Pity a lot too -- newspapers always have some sort of article about him, and segments about him in the news and talk shows plague the television. El Pity's popularity is so rampant that it's hard to imagine he's not a major influence on young people. Drugs are a part of life for El Pity, and a major part of his musical image. A few months ago, El Pity was arrested for possession of marijuana. All the television coverage of the arrest showed footage of a stoned Pity, bragging that he had a bunch of drugs in his pocket. There was also footage of El Pity in concert at Mar del Plata saying "lets hope none of you will ever be addicted to something." El Pity frequently visits talk shows speaking out against drugs, and he's recorded a variety of anti-drug messages. Clearly, El Pity has a drug problem. But does he glorify drug use or discourage it? El Pity stated in a recent interview that he does not want young people to be like him -- he doesn't want to encourage young people to make the same mistakes. But teens seem to ignore El Pity's warnings about drug use, and it's easy to understand why. El Pity is a well-known drug addict, but he has achieved international fame and success. If it worked for El Pity, why can't it work for them? While it's hard to know exactly why teens try drugs in the first place, it's certain that teens don't get the information they need to make a good choice. Argentine schools don't teach teens about drugs and drug addiction, and parents and immediate family are commonly ignorant of drug use. Drug abuse should never be popular or glorious, but it seems that many young Argentines see drugs as just that. Songs that glorify drug use are popular with these youngsters, and most of the songs they like are by El Pity and Intoxicados. El Pity's never personally encouraged drug abuse, but his songs are definitely viewed as drug anthems. While it's less than clear that El Pity's music has helped to cause Argentina's drug use problem, it is clear his music is popular with drug abusers. When you combine many parent's lack of awareness, poor anti-drug educational efforts, and the power of a major music star's drug use, it's easy to see how young people can fall under the spell of drugs. El Pity was once quoted as saying that he wanted to be the "last intoxicado" -- the last person to be high on drugs. Unfortunately, his efforts to publicize his own drug abuse have served to glorify drug use. You could say that he's more likely the first Intoxicado, because his influence has helped to create an entire generation of "intoxicados".
Article Source: http://www.philvault.com
Author: Jason Lancaster is a student of foreign affairs and has a latin tonos website featuring tonos para movil. Learn more about Argentina by visiting Wikipedia.
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