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English Government Explores Ban On Pro-Drug Lyrics


English Government Explores Ban On Pro-Drug Lyrics

(LONDON) - Pop lyrics promote drug abuse, claim U.K. police chiefs. Chris Marlowe writes in Billboard Bulletin that Keith Hellawell, drugs spokesman for the Assn. of Chief Police Officers and Chief Constable of West Yorkshire, called for a new "code of practice" that would ban all favorable references to drugs in music, via self-censorship by musicians and others working in the industry. "Children are influenced by their pop idols, and it does break down the barriers that they have to drugs," argued Hellawell, speaking last Monday on BBC TV. "I'm sure that many of these pop stars are part of that influence, because they're drugged up to their eyes themselves and therefore they think it's alright if they push that message to other people." During the item on BBC2's daily Newsnight program, videos were shown of "Ebenezer Goode" by the Shamen and "Sorted For E's And Whizz" by Pulp. "Wacky Dust" by Ella Fitzgerald was also played. "I'm after the people who make this music and make these noises. Many of them are self-confessed drug addicts anyway," said Hellawell. Hellawell appeared frequently on British TV in the early 1990s to express the police view on drug use and was considered to be more liberal than some of his predecessors. He once admitted that people took drugs "because they enjoyed doing it" and described "raves" as "very friendly, happy atmospheres because people are under the influence of Ecstasy."

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