By Kalhan Rosenblatt -
NBC News
The educational program that seeks to prevent drug abuse known as DARE
(Drug Abuse Resistance Education)
draws attention to how
Euphoria
, the successful HBO network series, represents and glorifies drug use, sex and violence.
Starring actress Zendaya,
Euphoria
follows the life of Rue, a high school student
dealing with addiction while trying to maintain her family
and friendship relationships.
Its second season premiered recently.
Rather than promote every parent's desire to keep their children safe from the potentially horrific consequences of drug abuse and other high-risk behaviors,
Euphoria
chooses to glorify and misrepresent drug use
, addiction, anonymous sex, violence and other destructive behavior by high school students as common and pervasive in today's world," DARE said of the series in a statement.
Actress Zendaya during the premiere of the second season of Euphoria. Jeff Kravitz / Getty Images for HBO
He added: "It is unfortunate that HBO, social media, TV show critics and paid advertising have chosen to refer to the show as 'groundbreaking,' rather than acknowledge the
potential negative consequences for school-age children
, who today they are facing unprecedented mental health risks and challenges."
Created in the 1980s during former President Ronald Reagan's “war on drugs,” the DARE program advocates a zero-tolerance drug policy.
The program added that it would like to meet with representatives of the series to express its concerns.
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Ahead of the second season premiere, Zendaya, who is also an executive producer on
Euphoria
, posted a statement on social media warning viewers that the series could trigger reactions in some people, emphasizing that it is
directed for an adult audience.
"I know I've said it before, but I want to reiterate to everyone that
Euphoria
is for a mature audience. This season, perhaps more so than the last, is deeply emotional and deals with themes that can be emotionally triggering and hard to watch." Zendaya wrote on her Instagram social network account.
He added that people should watch the series only if they feel "comfortable".
In 2019, before the series debuted, Zendaya posted
a similar warning.
"Just a reminder before tonight's premiere:
Euphoria
is for mature audiences. It's a raw and honest portrait of addiction, anxiety and the difficulties of navigating life today," he wrote then.
[A 2-year-old is thrilled to see his resemblance to a character from 'Charming']
"There are scenes that are graphic, hard to watch and can be triggering. Please only watch if you think you can handle it," he added.
A mental health liability announcement with a phone number for the
National Alliance on Mental Health
appears before each episode dealing with mental health .
HBO did not respond until the publication of this piece to a request for comment.
