#ADDICTION AWARENESS: 1 in 3 Pennsylvanians say influencers are strong advocates for addiction awareness, and three out of four parents would prefer their children not follow any influencer who makes substance abuse look good.

LagunaTreatment.com conducted a survey of 3,000 social media users and found that nearly 1 in 3 (30%) social media users in Pennsylvania say influencers are strong advocates for addiction awareness and substance abuse prevention.

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, social media influencers have a stronghold over many young people who use them as inspiration – or aspiration – in their daily lives. The tag #sober currently has more than 3.2 million posts on Instagram and #soberlife has over 1.7 million, which indicates the power of social media when it comes to conversations about addiction and recovery.

More than a third of respondents believe celebrities have a social responsibility to promote a clean, substance-free lifestyle, given the spectrum of their following. Actor, comedian and writer, Russell Brand, is arguably one of the most visible sobriety influencers on Instagram with more than 2.4 million users following his account.

Getting accurate information is important, and 1 in 5 people think influencer posts promoting addiction awareness should be accompanied by links to medically-approved sources on the topic.

Of its over 600 million users, around 55% of Instagram profiles belong to people between the ages of 18 and 29. Given that many impressionable young people have access to the internet and social media platforms, nearly half (42%) of respondents also say social media companies should have stricter policies on celebrities and influencers glamorizing drugs and alcohol.