The War on Drugs Moves beyond the Airwaves into the Concert Halls of Mexico

Drug use has been associated with cultural/artistic movements for decades.  Some examples would be:

•    the "Free Love" counter cultural movement in the 1960s and the widespread use of marijuana and other drugs
•    the "rave" culture that flourished in the 1990's with its acceptance of amphetamines and other narcotics
•    the hip hop lifestyle of the 1980's that glorified drug dealing during the time when urban centers around the world were being decimated by crack cocaine
 
In the last 20 years, Mexican songs about drug dealers (narcocorridos) have become wildly popular both in Latin America and also among Mexican immigrants in the United States.  Narcocorridos are songs about the exploits of men and women who are members of drug cartels.. The songs are typically set to Mexican Norteno Music and if you are not familiar with the genre then you may be surprised at how innocuous they sound (here is a definitive Narcocorrido song by one the genres most famous groups Los Tigres Del Norte):

The Mexican war against drug cartels has become so aggravated and costly that the Mexican government has moved beyond restricting the playing of these songs on the radio and is considering outlawing the performance of these songs in public or using the songs in films.

Censorship in a Desperate Time

If you look at the examples given at the beginning of the article: 60's Rock and Roll, hip hop, and electronic rave music are associated with drugs but censorship has rarely been considered (save for typical concerns of common decency). 

The narcocorridos would seem to be harmless as well, especially due to the fact that they seem to chronicle somewhat fairly the ups and downs of the drug smugglers and mafia members' lives.  However, if you consider:

•    how costly the war on drugs has been in Mexico
•    the fact that the violence and crime has spread to the U.S. border region
•    how brazenly the drug cartels openly  oppose the government authority

Then the move to censor the music seems more appropriate and, frankly, the action of a country existing in a state of emergency.  The hearts and minds of the Mexican people seem to be at stake and these narcocorridos are a source of comfort for those who have little opportunity in life.  The "glorification" of the drug trafficking industry's participants in these songs would seem to encourage participation in the illicit trade by those who have become desperate in a slumping global economy.

The U.S. Has a Vested Interest in Narcocorridos

Just because you may not listen to narcocorridos, or live in one of the border regions where the drug violence is common, legislation banning their performance may still have an effect on you.  As we've documented repeatedly in our blog, the rising  instance of prescription drug addiction in the United States has caused an unprecedented number of painkiller addicts to gravitate to heroin use when their preferred OxyContin and Vicodin has become too costly or difficult to obtain.  Beyond the tragic epidemic of accidental heroin overdose which has devastated entire communities in the United States, residential areas with higher instances of heroin addiction also report more frequent crimes (including theft and violent crimes).

Much of the heroin (and cocaine and marijuana) that users in the U.S. take comes across the border from Mexico and is trafficked by the very drug cartels that narcocorridos are about.  So Mexico's efforts to curb the music that encourages the drug trade might indirectly have an effect on your quality of life.
 
If you know someone who may be addicted to using a substance be it a prescription drug or an illegal narcotic, call Sober Living by the Sea at 866-323-5609 to get information about how to approach that person and get them the help that can save their life.