The American organization D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) recently came out with a statement against the hit 2019 show, Euphoria, which is known to handle themes such as drug abuse, addiction, and the pressure of over-sexualization in teens. They stated to TMZ that: “Rather than further each parent’s desire to keep their children safe from the potentially horrific consequences of drug abuse and other high-risk behavior, HBO’s television drama, ‘Euphoria,’ chooses to misguidedly glorify and erroneously depict high school student drug use, addiction, anonymous sex, violence, and other destructive behaviors as common and widespread in today’s world.”
However, many sources have challenged D.A.R.E’s statement, including leading actress herself, Zendaya. According to Entertainment Weekly, Zendaya expressed how Euphoria is not a “moral tale” and “if anything, the feeling behind ‘Euphoria,’ or whatever we have always been trying to do with it, is to hopefully help people feel a little bit less alone in their experience and their pain.” D.A.R.E itself is known to be a questionable organization in which many of their anti-drug tactics have failed to resonate with their target demographics.
Although many fans disagree with D.A.R.E and emphasize that the show is not glorifying the use of drugs, addiction and other harmful behaviors like anonymous sex, one thing is for certain: the show depicts how easy it is for young people to fall into the said harmful behaviors.
We see this especially when the characters are at parties. We see how readily available substances like alcohol are, even though the characters are under the American drinking age. We also witness how harder drugs are taken by characters like Rue, Jules and even Cassie and Maddie. At these parties and gatherings, it is also easy and often encouraged for these teens to have sex, which is most probably done under the influence as well.
Even younger teens like Rue’s sister Gia, who is thirteen in Season 1, are able to get hold of substances like weed pretty easily. And while the usage of marijuana isn’t as devastating as the usage of the substances that Rue takes, it is regarded as a gateway drug, which is why Rue is so against Gia’s experimentation with it.
Every character’s experience with drugs or any other harmful behaviour is first shown in a glamorized way. Rue and Jules take hallucinogenics and are enwrapped in a glittery golden light, showcasing their experience of the drug, yet after the effects have worn off, the lighting is taken away and they lay together in a dimly lit room meant to represent what happens after a high. This is seen too in Kat’s experimentation with her sexuality. It’s all fun and games until she realizes the consequences of her actions, and the visuals of the show correspond with that feeling, letting the viewer in on the actual processes of each character’s mind as they go through these harmful practices.
The execution of these brilliant visuals are what organizations like D.A.R.E use to accuse the show of the glamorization of drugs and addiction when instead the visuals simply add to the story in a manner that shows and does not tell the audience how the characters feel. The show is simply using typical storytelling tactics that engage fans and draw them into the story. They should not be used to justify claims of a perceived message, when even those inside the show argue against these claims.