Ever since drugs have been shown in films, people have had strong opinions about whether or not it is okay to do them. In 1987 President Ronald Reagan once said “the movie industry should be part of the solution, not part of the problem.” The portrayal of drugs in films has affected the general population in both positive and negative ways. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Since the beginning of cinema, the way drugs have been portrayed in films has changed and evolved with each cinematic era. It all began with the silent era (1900-1920). Thomas Edison created the basis and made the first ever drug film titled Chinese Opium Den​ in 1894. The Silent Era mainly depicted drugs in a more positive and comedic light because during this time drugs had not been studied as much and the most people did. I am not yet aware of their harmful effects. During this time, drugs were not controlled at all by the government or the film industry. In fact, the New York Film Academy stated that “Hollywood first officially addressed the drug problem in films in 1921, advising against films that showed 'the use of narcotics.'” The next era of cinema was the Production Code era of the 1930s-1950s. This is when more laws were passed where drugs were seen in a more negative light. For example, the Motion Picture Production Code was passed by Motion Pictures in 1930. This meant that films had to be approved before they could be released to the general public. After the passage of the Production Code, Hollywood began showing only anti-drug films and entered an “exploitation phase.” Many people relied on movies and television programs to inform the public about drugs. As we enter the era of changing times, the portrayal of drugs has evolved again. This time, instead of everyone being absolutely afraid of drugs and the film industry being totally one-sided, we started looking at the negative effects of being drug addicts and informing and educating the public about realistic situations. “While social unrest built up throughout the decade, it wasn’t until the late 1960s that drugs began to be portrayed differently and not just negatively in cinema.” In the 1970s, cocaine became a more accepted and therefore more desired "higher class" drug. As the title of this era suggests, the Just Say No era in the 1980s was a huge period where many were advised to be against drugs and addiction and had a predominantly negative connotation. This has been shown in every form of media. For example, as cocaine was on the rise in the United States, movies shifted their focus and increased the amount of films showing the effects of cocaine. There has also been a “decline in the popular use and cinematic depictions of marijuana.” Modern cinema (1990-2010) was the most neutral era ever towards drugs depicted in films. It no longer leaned one way than the other. “With the Clinton administration and Generation As drugs and addiction in films have become more neutral, a mix of films advocating for and informing people about drugs has appeared. The frequency of drugs shown in films 2000.