On October 16, 2024, former One Direction singer Liam Payne died in Buenos Aires, Argentina. As fans mourn the singer and his cultural impact on Gen Z, Payne's death has brought up a larger conversation around substance abuse.
Payne died after falling off of a third floor hotel balcony, and a toxicology report taken after Payne's autopsy revealed that he had cocaine in his system. Before he fell, the desk manager of the hotel had made a call to 101, Argentina’s emergency line, asking for help after a hotel guest had consumed an excessive quantity of substances and was heard breaking objects in his room. After further investigation, the police found narcotics and drugs in addition to the broken furniture in Payne’s hotel room.
From just 16 years old, Payne used alcohol to cope with the anxiety that came from his fame as a part of One Direction. Constantly being in the public eye and feeling pressure to please his fans took a toll on his mental health. His use of substances as an escape from this pressure developed into an addiction. Payne’s addiction only worsened the state of his mental health and caused him to develop suicidal thoughts.
In 2023, over 663,000 people aged 12 to 20 participated in binge drinking five or more times in the past month. According to the United States National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 46.6 percent of teenagers have tried illegal drugs by the time they reach 12th grade, and 11.2 percent of deaths caused by overdose are from people aged 15 to 24. After conducting a nationwide survey, Massachusetts was found to be the state with the second highest rate of teenage drug usage.
Substances have a major effect on adolescent brains. Teenage and young adult brains are still developing, making them more vulnerable to the influence of alcohol and drugs. The younger a person is when they start drinking, the more likely they are to develop a drug or alcohol addiction later on in life. Although teenagers may start to abuse drugs and alcohol as a way to cope with mental health illnesses, these substances often only worsen symptoms.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the best way to deal with teenage addiction is to stop it before it can happen. Saying no to peer pressure is the easiest way to avoid serious repercussions. Seeking therapy and counseling for mental health issues before consulting drugs and alcohol can also be effective.
https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/drinking-teen-brain
https://www.today.com/health/liam-payne-addiction-rcna175910
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/17/arts/music/liam-payne-death-what-we-know.html
https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/underage-drinking
https://drugabusestatistics.org/teen-drug-use/
https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/national-survey-mass-teen-drug-use-second-highest-us/IY4GRTTRMZFSBGQ7F5ETCRFZBU/