Jamaica Bans Music And Television Shows Promoting Violence And Drug Use

The ban was implemented after Jamaica’s government wanted to “cut back” on material that could give the wrong impression, claiming that criminal acts “is an accepted part of Jamaican culture and society. However, Jamaican artists are saying the ban does nothing to stop crime and completely removes communities that are heavily affected by gun violence from the conversation as reported by NBC News.

“The broadcast of any edited song which directly or indirectly promotes scamming, illegal use or abuse of drugs, illegal or harmful use of guns or other offensive weapons, “jungle justice” or any form of illegal or criminal activity is strictly prohibited. This includes live editing and original edits (e.g. edits by producer/label) and the use of near-sounding words as substitutes for offensive lyrics, expletives or profanities. “

The ban occurred in response to the country’s increase in gun violence after a study by Insight Crime listed Jamaica to have the highest rate of violence within the Caribbean and Latin America last year.