A GRIEVING mother who lost her daughter to an overdose during the pandemic says HBO’s hit-show Euphoria and its graphic depictions of drug use are “triggering” and “disturbing.”
Sherry Jo Matt, 57, told The Sun that she fears the Zendaya-led series – which follows a group of flawed and delinquent, pill-popping high schoolers – may glamorize hard drugs for its younger audience members.
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Sherry lost her 21-year-old daughter, Siena Bott, to an accidental overdose in September 2020 after she took a counterfeit Percocet pill laced with a fatal dose of fentanyl.
The straight-A student, who had once been courted by a number of Ivy League schools, was found dead inside her family home in an affluent suburb of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, following a several-year battle with addiction.
Sherry, who through her Stop the Judgement Project is trying the end the stigmas surrounding addiction, said she fears Euphoria may encourage America’s impressionable youth to dabble with drugs, potentially leading them down the same dark path that Siena once trod.
“Watching this show really ripped my heart out,” Sherry said. “It opened up all those wounds of losing Siena again.
“But it was almost like a car accident; I couldn’t look away even though it was so painful for me to watch it.”
GLORIFYING DRUGS?
For teens and younger viewers, Sherry said she believes Euphoria glorifies drugs and masks the dark realities of addiction with seductive lighting and alluring cinematography.
But at the same time, Sherry said for older viewers and parents the show may actually be educational, calling it “the most accurate depiction of living with a drug addict” that she’s ever seen.
“I think for kids the show – with its pretty lighting and nice camera angles – is glamorizing drug use.
“There’s also a lack of moral compass or consciousness in these kids we see on screen. They seem to have no thoughts beyond today, or any understanding or care for how their actions may later impact them or their families.
“I think that could have a horrible impact on the kids watching this … and I don’t think they realize it.”
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Using her own daughter as an example, Sherry said that had Siena been alive today to watch Euphoria, she would’ve likely “glommed on” to the characters leading the riskiest lifestyles, or those who seemed to be having the most fun.
“The show and its messages had such an impact on me because of what happened with Siena,” Sherry said.
“But I think she would’ve paid more attention to the clothes, the mannerisms of these kids, what they were drinking, and how they were acting – rather than the messages.
“For adults it makes sense when you break down what’s happening on screens, but a lot of the teens watching this show won’t be doing that,” she added.
“Their brains aren’t fully developed yet.”
MOUNTING CRITICISM
Sherry’s remarks somewhat echo a statement issued by the Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program (D.A.R.E) last month, who accused Euphoria showrunner Sam Levison of glorifying drugs and drug addiction.
“Rather than further each parent’s desire to keep their children safe from the potentially horrific consequences of drug abuse and other high-risk behavior, HBO’s television drama, ‘Euphoria,’ chooses to misguidedly glorify and erroneously depict high school student drug use, addiction, anonymous sex, violence, and other destructive behaviors as common and widespread in today’s world,” D.A.R.E. said in a statement.
“It is unfortunate that HBO, social media, television program reviewers, and paid advertising have chosen to refer to the show as ‘groundbreaking,’ rather than recognizing the potential negative consequences on school-age children who today face unparalleled risks and mental health challenges,” the statement continued.
Adam Jablin, a certified life coach and recovered addict, voiced similar concerns in an earlier interview with The Sun.
“In almost every scene they are doing drugs or drinking. It shows certain characters going through hard times and their coping mechanism is hard drugs,” he said.
“The show could be damaging in a way [by] showing kids that drugs could be an escape that helps to fix their problems.
“[I also] think the show may be encouraging teens to try hard drugs because they glamorize them, and when the kids are high in the show they express it through sparkles and glitter.”
Towing a more diplomatic line, Sarah O’Brien, an addiction specialist at Ark Behavioral Health, said that while many believe the show is “glamorizing” teen drug use, it’s also bringing attention to the growing prevalence of substance abuse among teens in the US.
“Shows like Euphoria could reflect an increasing culture of teens and young adults with drug-seeking behaviors,” O’Brien said.
“While the show portrays certain aspects of drug use that may be considered ‘glamorizing,’ it also shows the ugly underbelly of addiction: damaged relationships, overdose, mental health struggles, and declining health.”
‘ALL PARENTS SHOULD WATCH IT’
To a degree, Sherry agreed with O’Brien’s stance on Euphoria, saying at times the images on-screen were almost identical to some of the interactions she shared with Siena in the months preceding her death.
One scene in particular that resonated with Sherry came during the second season when Zendaya’s character Rue fights with and screams at her mother for disposing of her drug stash while she was sleeping.
“Siena came home from a party one night and something just wasn’t right with her, so when she went to sleep I went through all of her things and found these pills hidden away in her wallet.
“I didn’t know what they were but I just threw them out. Then the next morning, she became feral when she couldn’t find them.
“She was kicking and screaming, and saying all these hurtful things.
“It was exactly like the scene from the show. She told me, “I know you hate me but I hate me too” which is almost what Rue said verbatim.”
The show’s realism, while “traumatizing” at times for her to watch, may help other parents to spot the “red flags” in their children’s behavior before its too late, Sherry says.
“I think every parent should watch this show,” she said, “because although it’s horrifying, it shows you exactly what it’s like to live with a drug addict child.”
“Even if your child isn’t behaving like this, I bet they know someone who is.
“And spotting those warning signs could literally be a matter of life or death.”
To learn more about Sherry and Siena’s story, click here.
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