There has been a massive spike in sales of One Direction concert tickets on resale website Viagogo, many of which are believed to have been posted by concerned parents who disapprove of the influence that One Direction have over their children in the days following the release of a video which appears to show band members Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik smoking cannabis while on tour in Peru.
The video, shot a few weeks before their recent trifecta of concerts in Croke Park, appears to show the pair smoking the drug. Tomlinson appears to say: "So here we are, leaving Peru. Joint lit. Happy days"! It should also be noted that possession of small quantities cannabis is not illegal in the South American country.
This doesn't appear to matter to a significant portion of 1D fans or, rather, their parents and has caused the massive 79% spike in resale opportunities for One Direction concert tickets for various dates on their current 'Where We Are' tour.
A spokesperson for Viagogo said: "The boys are considered role models, but the question is whether this latest controversy will affect the boyband's squeaky clean image, as fans - and their parents alike - turn to reselling their tickets."
Meanwhile, tabloid newspaper The Sun has theorised that this negative publicity could potentially jeopardise their plans to tour in the United States, claiming the authorities could "makes examples of them".
One Direction's management team has told the BBC that the matter "is in the hands of [their] lawyers."
(via NME)
