A New York Times Health research study discovered that teens listen to nearly 2.5 hours of music every day. The instant access to music on cell phones and mp3 players makes it easy for adolescents to find a new jam any time they want to. Also, more and more offices are allowing employees to listen to music while they work, and satellite radio makes it easy to listen to a variety of musical genres during a commute. Music is an ambient essential in retail stores, and online music stores and radio players make it easy to download new songs instantly.

While music is a beautiful and entertaining art form, the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine writes that much of the music we're listening to encourages drug use and alcohol consumption. According to the study, the average teen hears 35 references to addictive substances per hour. At the time that the study was conducted, one in every three of the top songs on the Itunes top songs chart referred to drugs or alcohol in a positive light. While some people may shrug off that statistic, the truth is that we are impressioned by what we hear through our headphones. Teens that are being constantly bombarded by music about alcohol and drugs are more prone to experiment with these substances.

Shockingly, a lot of this music refers to drinking and driving as if it was normality. Songs often mention driving around with a beer in hand- an act which is illegal in the United States. Though songs about these substances are far from a new trend, the advent of mp3 players has given teens the option to listen to music that mom and dad can't hear from the other room. This allows young adults to purchase and listen to explicit music privately. Therefore, they are able to fill their minds with more lyrics about drinking and driving than ever before. In 2005, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine studied 279 of the most popular songs at the time. They used the top chart from Billboard to determine what these songs were, and to dissect their references to alcohol and drugs based on the genre.

In their findings, they determined that only 9 percent of pop songs had drinking references, and 14 percent of rock songs. 20 percent of R&B and hop-hop songs mentioned alcohol, and 36 percent of all country songs. 77 percent of all rap songs that were popular at this time talked about some sort of addictive substance. Most of these songs referred to alcohol rather than drugs, but as the years have progressed drug references have become more common. When all added up, the New York Times discovered that the average teenager hears 84 positive references to alcohol use per day, 591 references per week, and 30,732 per year.

In a Health Day study about this subject, researchers found that 39 percent of songs that champion alcohol refer to the singer drinking while driving. Some artists will even recommend their favorite beer within the song, or sing the praises of another alcoholic substance that they can sip while cruising the highway in their sports car. Regardless of the beverage and the car type, it is never safe to drink and drive. Every year, thousands of people are killed in drunk driver accidents. These accidents could be avoided if the people behind the wheel had either designated a driver or avoided drinking too much on their night out. While music stars may sing about reckless driving while under the influence, reality gives harsh punishments to those who try that avenue. Refraining from drinking and driving will eliminate your chances of a DUI, and keep you safe out on the road.