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Whether it’s Toby Keith claiming he’ll “never smoke weed with Willie again,” or Snoop Dogg waxing poetic about sipping on “Gin and Juice,” popular music and its association with certain indulgences has been a parental point of concern for many years.

But can popular music really lead kids to drug and alcohol use?

According to a recent national study, out of the 279 most popular songs of 2005, one in three songs contained one or more references to substance abuse.

While rock ‘n’ roll has long been a target of contention, according to the study only 14 percent of rock songs contained any reference to drinking or drug use. Rap music, researchers said, is by far the biggest offender - with 86 percent of the songs containing some reference to drugs or alcohol.

Country music comes in second in the survey, with 37 percent of songs referencing drinking or drugs. Pop music came in last, with only eight percent of songs containing such references.

But do these lyrics actually have an effect on human behavior - more specifically, the young people who are doing most of the listening?

“We don’t know if it really makes a difference,” said study author and University of Pittsburgh Assistant Professor of Medicine Dr. Brian Primack. “Maybe kids listen to songs with alcohol, and it doesn’t affect them one way or another. Maybe it affects them a great deal. It’s good for us to know that this exposure is there so that we can go the next step. We can talk to kids about it and say what we think is correct, and what is not.”

For Tahlequah musician Matt Gurley, the problem isn’t the music. It’s something much larger.

“I don’t think music is the cause. I think it’s alienation, loneliness, boredom, and the shock of societal indoctrination,” Gurley said. “People want to take risks, harbor secrets, and most of all, escape the drudgery of everyday life, so they develop addictions, whether they resort to bingo, infomercials, religion, marijuana, shopping, sports, or music - which is very much an addiction all its own.”

Human nature, said Gurley, will lead people to drugs or alcohol much faster than any lyric.

“People also get into drugs and alcohol because of repression - tell them not to do it, and they think, ‘Man, this must really be fun if all of these uptight conservatives want so badly to keep me away from it!”’ Gurley said. “It’s human nature. Put a sign on a wall that says, ‘Do not look over this wall,’ and everyone will scramble to get a good view.

“If the people in control really wanted to quell drug popularity, they would start a big ‘Drugs are Cool’ campaign. When will they learn?”

Garron Marsh writes for Tahlequah (Okla.) Daily Press.