Moral Panic and Drug Abuse: Sociological Research and Media Representation in Australia

The article discusses the issue of drug abuse in Australia and how it has been portrayed in the media, leading to moral panic. It also explores the sociological research framework of media panic and the characteristics of media representation. The article concludes that moral panic has become an integral part of societal issues and relationships, and the credit for the same goes to the manner of news reporting and the media houses.

Sociology and
Social Science

Introduction
The societies around the globe have been consistently exposing to the incidents of the moral
panics every now and then. The role of the media in the sociology of deviance has been
remarkably highlighted in the celebrated research works of Stanley Cohen and Jock Young
(Petley et. al, 2013). According to him, the moral panic leads to the emergence of a condition,
person, or a group of persons to be perceived as a threat to the moral values, safety, and
culture of the society as a whole. The rationale behind the concept of moral panic in terms of
the sociological research as recognised by Cohen was to expose the inapt social responses to
a situation in the sense of being biased and inconsistent. The incidence of moral panic is
referred to an existence of widespread irrational fear that is being perpetuated by the media
and further influenced by the politicians. The result of such moral panics leads to the creation
of new laws and policies in the society which are targeted at the particular person or the
group of persons. The incidents of moral panics are often focussed at the groups or
community of people that are distinctively different in terms of the race, class, ethnicity,
religion, or nationality (Cree and Clapton, 2015). The following work is aimed at exploring
the various facets of the moral panics in terms of the sociological research and the role of the
media in the same. The topic chosen for the evaluation is the drug abuse.
Background
The issue of drug abuse or substance abuse is defined as the engagement in the use of drugs
without the supporting medical justifications to the same. Drug abuse has been regarded as
one of the most serious conditions prevailing among the youth across the world that has been
affecting their physical and mental wellbeing (Goode, 2017). In addition to the above, the
potential effects of the issue involve the harm to the economic and social prosperity of the
state as well. The nation of Australia too has also been widely exposed to the increased

magnitude of the drug abuse in the recent years. The increased use of the ‘crystal meth' or
‘ice' has been widely reported by the Australian media in the country, thus making it a moral
panic. As reported by the statistics obtained by the National Drug Strategy Household
Survey, the year 2016 had witnessed about 3.1 millions of Australians using the one or more
of the illicit drugs for various purposes (Australian Government, 2018). The survey also
highlighted that the most common drugs being used are cannabis, in addition to the
pharmaceuticals, cocaine, and then ecstasy being misused.
Sociological Research Framework of Media Panic
Stanley Cohen had first laid down the grounds of the sociological research in the form of the
moral panic framework in the early 1960s (Loseke, 2017). There have been prescribed six
pillars in the framework for the better understanding of the issues of the society in terms of
the moral panic. These are explained as follows.
Firstly, the moral panic leads to a person, condition, or group being defined as the threat to
the values and morals of the society as a whole. Secondly, the mass media presents the nature
of the issue in a stylised or a stereotypical manner, instead of presenting it in a simpler or to
the point way. Thirdly, politicians, editors, and other influencers of the society tend to
manipulate the issue and the actual situation. Fourthly, the experts of the society present a
number of diagnoses and the solutions. Fifthly, the debates and discussions lead to the
emergence of the coping mechanisms and the ways to get past the issue; and lastly, the
concerned condition is then disappeared, submerged and the visibility increases. Thus, the
model of moral panic as developed by Cohen is a process model, displaying the various
stages involved in the process of the moral panic occurrence.
The sociological framework also highlighted the fact that the conditions behind the moral
panic are either already existing in the society since a long time and suddenly become part of

the limelight, and the object of the ongoing panic is thus original. The other times, panic
comes and then goes, followed by being forgotten. In addition, as highlighted by Cohen, the
moral panics at times form the base for the development and implementation of the legal and
social policies and forms the future societal relationships as well.
Representation in Media and the Analysis
The years from 2014 to 2016 witnessed a number of pieces of news reports on the issue of
usage of the drugs in Australia (Nicholas and O'Malley, 2013). The reports were published in
a range of newspapers and their online versions namely, The Age; The Australian;
Newcastle Herald; Sydney Morning Herald; The Courier and more. It is significant to note
that how the Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione, of the New South Wales (NSW) stated
the issue of the drug abuse among youth as crucial and potential enough "to bring the nation
down on the knees." Thus, it is noteworthy that the ongoing drug crisis globally, and in
Australia has led to the emergence of a number of controversies, scares, and scandals over the
past few years. The continuous presentation in media on the lines of the above has been
forming a base for the people to call for a bill on the lines of increasing use and abuse of
prescription drugs, and the resulting assaults and violence.
Some of the recent incidents revolve around the Australian Football League and its concern
over the drug abuse among the young football players in schools and colleges to enhance
their sports performance and fitness levels. The concerns of the National Rugby League also
coincide with the above. One such recent incident was when the legendary player Malcolm
Blight, belonging to the Australian Football Hall of Fame had commented that in order to
perform the tests for the various trial drugs, the footballer players were being used as ‘lab
rats.’ The first news piece was published in The Herald Sun. A glimpse of the same has been
provided as follows.

(Source: The Herald Sun, 2018)
He highlighted that about 40 to 50 players were using a drug under a ‘special access scheme,"
and thus co-related the scheme to the process of the lab testing. He also had mentioned the
amount of the money and stake that has been placed on the Australian Football League
Players, which in cost terms accounts for approximately $1.3 million (Writers, 2018).
Following the concern voiced by Malcolm blight, various newspapers and publishing house
reported on the said concern and other interrelated issues in their own manners. For instance,
as reported by the sports reporter of the newspaper "The Australian," the said drugs are being
injected into the bodies of the injured players twice a week, and the same treatment goes for
up to six weeks (Walsh, 2018). The mentioned prescription or the dosage of the said drug to
the football players may be standard or even less than as required to be administered to a
normal patient. However, to a common person, while reading the statement as reported by the
media is strong enough to create a panic that young football players are exposed to the
indulgence in the drug use for the performance enhancements. Thus, both the above news
pieces had created a moral panic in the sports and the football community of Australia.

Some of the chief characteristics of the media representation in terms of the sociological
theory application are as follows. The news pieces like above represent the discrimination
between the right and the wrong, identify a targeted group of individuals, represent the issue
as the threat to a country's values and interests in some or another way, pronounce a wide
range of the diagnoses, consequences, and suggested solutions, and the like. In addition, it
must be noted that the individuals and the parties often exploit the events that give rise to the
moral panic situations for the political purposes. The news reporting like above add on to the
already existing panic level in the society concerning the youth and lead to an increased
number of debates among the moral, legal, medical, social, economic, and political grounds.
Correlating the above theoretical aspects with the media representation, the following
description is noteworthy. The reports had identified the targeted group to be sports
individuals and mainly the youth. The usage of drugs was also a societal issue in past times,
but the same has been a significant matter of concern over a decade or so because of the
striking media reports around the globe (McDermott, 2015). The technological and
innovation in the field of reporting has its own role to play. The reports and the confusion on
the legality of the use of the drugs had placed the players using the said drug, the staff, and
the related officers of the AFL on the periphery of doubt and stress. It is significant to note
that the chief of the Australian Football League had later on clarified that the drug in question
that is Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium was being used by the players of the AFL clubs are not
on the prohibition list of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). However, the new reports
are a relief to the players as well as the whole of the sports community.
Thus, it can be said that incidents relating to the issue of drug abuse in Australia create moral
panic in the Australian society. The news reports have been consistently presenting the
incidents in a stylised manner, by use of the fancy words and catchy captions, the youth
engaged in sports and being administered some or the other forms of the drug are considered

as a threat to the society. In addition, the political parties have been consistent regarding the
issue as a part of their manifestos. A number of legal pronouncements and enactments have
taken place in different states over the years. Lastly, the conditions and issues are in existence
for a long time, but incidents like above as reported in the media grab the attention of the
society now and then.
Conclusion
As per the discussions conducted in the previous parts, it can be noted that moral panic has
essentially placed themselves as an integral part of the societal issue and the relationships,
and the credit for the same goes to the manner of the news reporting and the media houses.
The drug abuse has been identified as an ongoing global problem among the youth and the
Australian nation has not been spared from the same. The issue and the incidental topics have
received a wide media attention in the recent years and the focus of the same have
specifically been the young population comprising of the school and college students, sports
players, and the like. The work made use of a case study of a recent concern raised by an
Australian football player for an ongoing use of a drug by the players of the Australian
Football League. The media introspected the issue in their own manners and provided the
explanation and representation of the same in the different forms. The work highlighted two
of the news reports, the same had presented the concern raised by the ex-player in their own
ways. However, it was later on confirmed that the said drug was not on the list of the
prohibited substances. Nevertheless, the brief period between the confirmation and the raising
of the concern had raised ethical and moral debates on the drugs being used by the players for
improvising their sports performances and fitness. Thus, it can be said that youth-centric
moral debates are part of the society and create a distress and frame the social relationships
among the targeted and the other groups of the society.

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