The “Dope” on Soaps

Abstract

Entertainment television has recently been at the center of a raging controversy concerning its effects on the viewer. Prime time television has been analyzed and dissected in almost every imaginable way. This zeal to reveal the hidden lessons being taught on prime time has not, however, been carried over to the daytime arena. While we now know the intimate details of nighttime drug usage, there has been virtually no investigation of daytime drug taking. This study, utilizing a sample of long-time soap opera viewers, examines the context, motives and consequences of drug use in the daytime serials. An indepth analysis of the various portrayals of eight separate drug categories — alcohol, tobacco, tranquilizers, amphetamines, marijuana, LSD, cocaine, and heroin — are presented. Finally, the potential effects of these television portrayals upon public drug awareness, and education efforts are hypothesized.