Reporting Guidelines
General Press Release No. 246 (ii) (July 2001)

Drugs and drug addiction

The Press Council supports the efforts being made by governments and other bodies to combat both the supply of, and the demand for illicit drugs. It notes however, that these efforts have so far been only partly successful, and that the toll of addiction continues to rise.

Various authorities periodically urge the Council to advocate limitations on the reporting of drug addiction through, for example, the avoidance of stories that might excite the interest of young people in drug experimentation, including the naming of dangerous drugs. The dilemma for the press in responding to such exhortations is a common one of whether to report the world as it is, or whether to play a deliberate part in influencing social change.

Against this background, the Press Council offers the following broad guidelines for newspapers' consideration when reporting drug-related issues:

• Responsibly report public debate about drug use and addiction;
• The harmful effects of any particular drug should not be exaggerated or minimised;
• Avoid detailed accounts of consumption methods, even though many young people are generally familiar with them;
• Outlining the chemical composition of a drug may be justified in some reports, but avoid providing any details which could assist its manufacture;
• Do not quote the lethal dose of any particular drug;
• Guard against any reporting which might encourage readers' experimentation with a drug, for example highlighting the 'glamour' of the dangers involved;
• Highlight elements of a story which convey the message that preventive measures against drug abuse do exist, and that people can be protected from the harmful consequences of their addictive behaviours;
• Bear in mind the arguments of those who point out that tobacco and alcohol use and addiction are another major aspect of the drug story.

This GPR supersedes earlier GPRs on the reporting of drugs:
GPR 20, GPR 36, GPR 100, GPR 121.

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