Celebrities must say no to drugs

A number of celebrities have been detained on drug-related charges during an anti-drug crackdown. Drugs are common in the entertainment industry because people show too much tolerance to stars' bad behavior, says a commentary on youth.cn. Excerpts:

Jaycee Chan, the son of kung fu superstar Jackie Chan, was arrested in his home in Beijing and charged with taking drugs. Chan's arrest came shortly after Zhang Mo, the son of another movie star, was also detained for drug offence.

A number of actors, screenwriters and singers have been detained on drug charges after the authorities crackdown on and vowed to wipe out drugs.

Society's tolerance for people using drugs may be another reason for their prevalence. A supporter of the popular actor Gao Hu who was arrested for using drugs posted a comment on the actor's micro blog: "I don't think there is anything wrong with taking drugs. It's just a personal pastime. We are waiting for you and will support you as always."

Many young people look up to celebrities as their role models. The frequent exposure of celebrities taking drugs and the understatement of the consequences may mislead them to believe that drug use is no big deal. According to statistics from the Ministry of Public Security, people under the age of 35 accounted for 75 percent of the new drug addicts in 2013. The youngest was only 8.

Drugs are extremely destructive to people's physical and mental health and should never be tolerated. Recently, 42 entertainment and performance agencies reached an agreement, organized by the Beijing Trade Association for Performances, to boycott celebrities who take drugs. Only when celebrities involved in drug-related scandals face serious consequences detrimental to their career will they keep away from drugs.