Dramatic play changes opinions of drug abuse: study

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A dramatic play about drug abuse can change the opinions of the audience and even prompt them to donate money to prevention programs, researchers said.

They found that even three months after seeing the play entitled "Tunnels" it had an impact on viewers, who said they had talked to friends or family about substance abuse.

"In a play with scenes and vignettes that have some kind of association with something that is around you and available all the time, such as the drug dealer, that opens up a sense of discussion," said Dr. Allyn Howlett of Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina.

"We know that the impact of the play was well beyond just those individuals that came to the play and saw it," she added in an interview.

The play, written by a local playwright with input from substance abuse experts, consisted of six vignettes about people addicted to alcohol or drugs.

It was shown six times at North Carolina Central University and attended by over 700 people. About 250 adults who saw it agreed to take a survey before and after the play to determine if it had influenced their knowledge and opinions about drug abuse.

Nearly half of those surveyed had changed their opinions and thought drug use is a disease rather than a lifestyle choice, according to the findings published in the online journal Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention and Policy.

In a follow-up survey three months after seeing the play 81 percent said they had talked to their friends or family about substance abuse. Forty three percent said they had given money to a prevention organization.

"People get a lot more emotion out of being in a room, seeing a play than they do out of television (warnings)," said Howlett.