Study Blames Rap Music For Teens Driving Drunk

A study has emerged dubbing alcohol references in rap music as the reason behind teenage alcohol consumption. Claiming that the frequent mentions of alcohol pressure teens into drinking and driving more so than their peers, the study sites Jay Z, 50 Cent, Diddy and a host of others.

The study's lead author Doctor Brian Primack, associate professor of medicine and pediatrics at Pittsburgh University's School of Medicine said, "Every year, the average adolescent is exposed to about 3,000 references to alcohol brands while listening to music."

In the survey, participants were given the titles of rap songs that include alcohol mentions and asked their relations to the songs. From the data, the study found that the teens who could recall the songs has twice the odds of consuming alcohol than the one who were unfamiliar with the music.

"Average exposure is about eight alcohol brand name mentions per day. This is based on average exposure of 2.5 hours of music per day, with three to four brand mentions each hour. However, this is just an average. For some kids, it will be more, and for others it will be less," added Primack. "It is important that we understand the impact of these references in an age group that can be negatively affected by alcohol consumption," he stressed.