One example of drug abuse on DeGrassi are the episodes titled Turned Out Part 1 and Turned Out Part 2 in which the character J.T. steals Oxycontin from his employer’s pharmacy to sell on the street in order to pay for an unplanned pregnancy.

The DeGrassi Turned Out episode Part 1 is described as follows:  J.T. is under a lot of stress and starts to fold under the pressure. Liberty is six months pregnant and J.T. discovers he can't afford to take care of himself, Liberty, and a baby. Desperate for money, J.T. starts stealing drugs from the pharmacy and selling them to a drug dealer. 

The DeGrassi Turned Out episode Part 2 is described as follows:  J.T.’s life becomes complicated when he becomes tangled in a web between his boss, the drug dealer and the police. Liberty finds out what he did and tells him she wants nothing more to do with him. Realizing how much of a hole he had dug himself in, he overdoses on painkillers on purpose. 

Florida Family Association brought these episodes to the attention of several advertisers late last year.  It appears that Teen Nick responded by removing the video for Turned Out episode Part 2 from their web site so that we cannot refer to it.  Teennick.com now displays the Part 1 video for both the Turned Out Part 1 and Turned Out Part 2 episodes.  The Part 2 video has been removed.  To see this for yourself Click Here.  The message that you will get should read “Content Is Unavailable.  Sorry, the content is currently unavailable.  Please choose another video, or try again later.”

Why did Teen Nick remove (hide) this video?  Most likely because the portrayal of J.T. guzzling beer while popping a handful of Oxycontin pills at a camp side party with other teens and then overdosing was grossly irresponsible.  

Ironically and sadly, the Office of National Drug Control Policy advertised during the Turned Out episodes.  And Teen Nick airs reruns of DeGrassi episodes on their network dozens and dozens of times every week.

DeGrassi: The Next Generation Point is loaded with irresponsible content including teen sex, teen sexting, teen drug abuse, underage drinking, teen reckless driving, teen pregnancy, teen on teen violent crime and explicit teen homosexuality.

The American Legacy Foundation, an anti-smoking organization, once a major advertiser on DeGrassi appears to have discontinued ads on this show after receiving emails from Florida Family Association supporters.  Additionally, a large number of other companies have discontinued advertising during this program.

DeGrassi is not the type of programming that should be supported by our tax dollars especially by a government agency with the mission of preventing drug abuse.

Florida Family Association has prepared an email for you to send that urges officials with the Office of the National Drug Control Policy to stop advertising during DeGrassi: The Next Generation.  

To send your email, please click the following link, enter your name and email address then click the "Send Your Message" button.  You may change the subject and/or text of the email.

Please click here to send your email to officials at the Office of the National Drug Control Policy.