Pictures: Channel 7
Ben Cousins' Such Is Life doco has dominated media coverage.
Talkback radio has been solely dedicated to it for the past three days and every newspaper has run news stories and opinion pieces.
Google News lists 759 recent news articles about Cousins.
Opinions and verdicts have been mixed, but there's certainly been plenty of attention given to the show's morally ambiguous message.
Most news coverage rightly included the Australian Drug Foundation's concern that the footage of Cousins using illicit drugs could glamorise drug use in the eyes of young people "who look up to Ben for his sporting achievements".
Talkback radio has been solely dedicated to it for the past three days and every newspaper has run news stories and opinion pieces.
Google News lists 759 recent news articles about Cousins.
Opinions and verdicts have been mixed, but there's certainly been plenty of attention given to the show's morally ambiguous message.
Most news coverage rightly included the Australian Drug Foundation's concern that the footage of Cousins using illicit drugs could glamorise drug use in the eyes of young people "who look up to Ben for his sporting achievements".
........
Meanwhile in less prominent news, another young Aussie said yesterday, “I’m a living example of how drugs can destroy lives”.
He's not a footballer, but 24 year old Scott Rush has a story that is by far more powerful and more frightening.
As one of the 'Bali Nine', Rush is facing the death penalty for trying to smuggle 8kg of narcotics into Australia.
He has pleaded in court saying "my life is in your hands" and if his appeal is rejected his only other option of surviving is appealing for clemency to President Yudhoyono
In the past Yudhoyono has shown little mercy for drug criminals.
"I accept I am a criminal, not a celebrity," Rush said to the media yesterday.
Scott Rush and Ben Cousins are different, the severity and consequence of their stories are poles apart.
But as those in the media moan about Cousins' story not being a big enough detterent for drugs, they could do well to look beyond AFL and Australia, and discuss the impact drugs have had on someone like Scott Rush.
"I accept I am a criminal, not a celebrity," Rush said to the media yesterday.
Scott Rush and Ben Cousins are different, the severity and consequence of their stories are poles apart.
But as those in the media moan about Cousins' story not being a big enough detterent for drugs, they could do well to look beyond AFL and Australia, and discuss the impact drugs have had on someone like Scott Rush.
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