…that is, according to a new study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. As obvious as that sounds, what they uncovered might be quite enlightening to the average church leader. Basically, the study set out to find out how often popular music mentioned drugs and the use thereof. The researcher took Billboard’s top 279 songs of 2005 and here is a summation of the results:

• Rap carries the gold with 77% discussing substance abuse
• Country’s second with 36%
• R&B/Hip-Hop came in with 20%
• Sex, Drugs, and Rock-n-roll is only partially right with 14% of Rock coming through on the study
• Pop songs had a measly 9%
• 1 in 3 songs all together mention it in some form or another (33%)
• 1 in 25 had an anti-use method (4%)
• Almost 50% of all these references were tied to sex and 29% to some sort of violence

So what does that have to do with us in the church? Think about it this way, an average youth (which this study was targeting) or an adult trying to keep up with modern culture and/or the culture of their children will here an estimated 588 references a week to drugs, sex, violence, or all of the above compared to the handful presented in the hour they spend at church. Which one do you think has a better chance of making an impact?