A Brief History of Heroin

There is a long-standing debate about drug references in music lyrics and their influence on teen substance abuse. Does a bombardment of drug references in popular music—as well as in books, movies, TV shows, and other sources of entertainment—increase the likelihood that teens will experiment with drugs?

There are valid points to both sides of the debate, but neither side denies the prevalence of drug references in pop culture. In a study released in 2008, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine tallied substance abuse references in the top songs of 2005. A third of the songs explicitly mentioned drugs, alcohol, or tobacco. According to their calculations, a teenager that listened to 2.4 hours of music every day would hear over thirty thousand substance abuse reference every year.

During their survey, the researchers probably listened to the 2005 song “She's Like Heroin” by the group System of a Down. Heroin has been a topic for a number of acclaimed songs over the years. The Velvet Underground featured two songs about heroin—“Heroin” and “I'm Waiting for the Man”—on a 1969 album. Songs about heroin do not always glamorize the drug. In his 1967 song “Cold Turkey,” which never explicitly mentions heroin, John Lennon talks about the pain of withdrawal.