UN warns about rock star drug use influence

Pete Doherty

Watchdog says lenient sentences sends wrong message to fans

Mar 5, 2008
4 Comments
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The United Nations watchdog has claimed that giving lenient sentences to celebrities, including rock stars, who commit drug offences sends the wrong message to young people.

Philip Emafo, president of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), claimed that narcotics abuse was glamourised when celebrities took illegal drugs, reports BBC News.

“Celebrities are often involved in illicit drug trafficking or in illicit drug use and this is glamourised,” he said. “If, indeed, they have committed offenses they should be dealt with.”

The warning comes after a series of high-profile music stars have been seen to be taking drugs in the public eye.

There being complaints from some commentators that the likes of Pete Doherty had been treated too leniently by courts when they had been charged with drug possession, although the UN did not single out any particular celebrity.

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Comments (4)

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dazautomatic

Mar 5, 2008

I still fail to understand how young people looking at Pete Doherty throwing a great carear, family relationships, love relationships and friendships down the pan due to his drug problems can 'encourage' these kids to want to do the same. Nor can I see how anyone with half a brain can consider this 'glamourising' drug use. I think this is the UN trying to cover the cracks of it's own mistakes by making a scapegoat of 'celebrity.'

albionfred

Mar 5, 2008

i am a young huge huge doherty fan
BUT as daz says why should we want to do the drugs bit, hes messed up almost beyond repair
i respect him for his talent not drugs

tomtristan

Mar 5, 2008

I agree entirely with what dazautomatic has to say. I think Pete has done more to put people off drugs than anybody else in the country, nobody in their right mind would see what drugs have done to him, and think oh, that looks like fun. Added to that, so many of his lyrics are completely against drug use:

My days are spent swerving prangs
Like Old Bill in a jag
But reality keeps on like a nag
Stop it, stop it, before you cop it
Off the rails, on style impaled
By my injustice jailed
And to a tabloid crossword nailed
Junkie rocker hailed and I
Appear in the morning too minging to sing
And there's not much worse than that
Except perhaps death

In any case, if Pete had done half the crimes reported in the press, i have no doubt he would be locked up. In reality, he has been arrested a large amount of times, and not arrested, because they have found no drugs on him, or the drugs belonged to somebody else.

earthphish

Mar 5, 2008

this is all a game! there are many out there who make profit out of this celebritie drug use. record companies, dealers, politicians ... this is entertainment. the sad thing is that there are many artist who get squeezed out like an orange. do you know any happy artist?