(CelebrityAccess) — Colette Weintraub, head of Stand Together Music published an open letter addressing the important issues of addiction and mental health in the live entertainment industry.
The open letter to the industry, released as part of Stand Together’s 1 Million Strong campaign which launched on Thursday, serves as a call to action and offers recommendations for industry-wide change.
Inspired by ‘Dry January’ the letter calls for year-round support for sober-supportive spaces at music events, providing resources for touring musicians and crew in recovery, and a push to remove the stigma around addiction.
The letter has already drawn support from numerous artists and industry figures, including Aloe Blacc, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, RIAA Chairman & CEO Mitch Glazier, Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino and more.
With permission, we have reprinted the full open letter below. This letter was originally published in Billboard.
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
It’s the close of Dry January, and many people kicked off 2023 sober. Whether you choose to abstain from alcohol and drugs or not, you’ve likely seen first-hand how addiction disproportionately impacts those of us in the music industry. In fact, 56% of music industry professionals cite problematic substance use and 34% of touring professionals report suffering from clinical levels of depression as compared with just 7% of the general population.
But wellness is not a one-month trend. And those who are struggling with addiction have so much to offer. So we are uniting in support of our artists, talent, teams, crews, and fans – not just for one month, but year-round, year after year. We are calling on our peers in the music industry and our allies across the country to unite as a community – a community we call 1 Million Strong – to destigmatize addiction and to support recovery, so people are empowered to live their best lives.
We’re taking action to transform the way people think about addiction by supporting new ways for sober fans to enjoy shows, ensuring touring musicians and crews have access to resources on the road, and engaging in conversations about sobriety that are free from shame and stigma and full of possibilities. We believe community is core to recovery, that sobriety doesn’t have to be isolating, that those of us who don’t have challenges with substance use are well-positioned to be a community of support for those who do.
Together we’re on a path where recovery means gaining so much more in life. Starting now, we can expand music culture to include sobriety – a shift that supports health and wellness, not just sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll. As it has throughout history, music can once again be a catalytic force for positive change. Join us as we come together to support those in recovery.
To support the campaign, please visit: https://www.1millionstrong.com/letter
