Fifty-eight per cent of respondents to a recent online Australian industry drug survey admitted to using cocaine, making it the No 1 drug of choice amongst Aussie Adlanders.
The survey – completed by over 500 B&T’s online readers – found that half of respondents used marijuana and 35% were regular ecstasy users.
Twenty per cent said they never used drugs and the results need to be put into context in that the survey was primarily filled out by people with a predilection to recreational drug use and not the industry as a whole.
Seventeen per cent said the industry needed a stronger stance on drugs and better drug education.
Drug addiction expert Dr Matthew Frei believes coke – and all recreational drugs, for that matter – aren’t necessarily used more in Adland over any other industry; however, he does concede that the industry possibly has a more liberal stance to drugs meaning they’re more out in the open than other industries.
In most instances people experiment with drugs in their ’20s but simply grow tired of it and stop by their 30s when mortgages and family takeover in importance,” drug addiction expert Dr Matthew Frei told B&T.
“Most people simply grow out of it; it’s no longer rewarding and they stop without too many problems. The reason for using drugs is no longer there and many people can see the problems coming and they just don’t want those problems.”
M+AD thought long and hard about the wisdom of publishing this story – particularly as there is little evidence of similar drug use in the NZ ad industry. The picture on this side of the Tasman appears very different. Marijuana use is everywhere in NZ – but cocaine is extremely rare (due to tough border controls).
- Read the full B&T story here
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