Alcohol, smoking, solvent & drug abuse & illegal drugs
We must balance the need to reflect the range of public attitudes and behaviour realistically, with the danger of encouraging potentially damaging or illegal behaviour, particularly amongst children.
The use of illegal drugs, the abuse of drugs, smoking, solvent abuse and the misuse of alcohol should not be featured in programmes made primarily for children unless there is a clear editorial justification.
Unless editorially justified we should not encourage, glamorise or condone the use of illegal drugs, the abuse of drugs, smoking, solvent abuse and the misuse of alcohol:
- in pre-Watershed programmes or in post-Watershed programmes likely to be widely seen by under eighteens.
- on radio when children are particularly likely to be listening or when programmes are likely to be widely heard by under eighteens.
- in online content likely to appeal to a high proportion of children.
We should also:
- ensure that contributors to programmes, including studio debates or chat shows, do not smoke. They can be reminded of this before recording or live transmission begins.
- deal accurately with all aspects of illegal drug use, solvent and drug abuse, smoking and misuse of alcohol. This should include, for example, the health implications and anti-social aspects of illegal drug use and binge drinking.
- ensure the legal and social context of our coverage is clear.
- avoid revealing too much detail of solvent abuse and illegal drug use and remember graphic close ups of injections upset some people.