[Opinion] Opioid Use Isn’t Always Visible

by Diane Zhou

Jan.13.2026

Growing up, I watched countless crime and medical procedural television shows, where each episode had a self-contained story, often a mystery of some type, that was solved by the end of the episode. However, one pattern always stood out: the portrayals of opioid use were vivid. Sometimes it was a dimly lit alley, needles strewn around the scene, and a disoriented person stumbling in from the shadows. Other times, it was a violent criminal wreaking havoc in pursuit of the drugs to sell. But opioid use is not always like this. It also looks like a college student recovering from a sports injury, a new mother managing postpartum pain, or an older adult dealing with chronic pain. Opioid use exists across all backgrounds, but stigma–often influenced by media portrayals–prevents people from seeking help, accessing resources, and showing empathy.

Media Misrepresentation

As mentioned above, opioid use is often portrayed in scenes of violence or crisis only. In crime procedurals, that’s often criminals who are morally weak, irresponsible, or dangerous, often running a drug trafficking empire, stealing, or wreaking havoc. In hospital procedurals, plotlines revolve around chaos, ruined relationships, or exaggerated spirals. Even in a hospital setting, opioid use isn’t talked about as a treatable illness, but rather as personal failure. 

This isn’t limited to just fictional media. A 2025 sentiment analysis of media coverage in the Philadelphia Inquirer found negative and punitive language across coverage of drug classes. There was also limited representation of overdose prevention and response principles (Bouzoubaa). For opioids specifically, a 2020 Canadian study found that opioid-related articles used “dramatic and sensational language”, frequently describing opioids as a “hidden killer” or a “skyrocketing” problem (Webster). Another theme from this article was criminality and labeling individuals affected as “addicts."

In fact, a study analyzing U.S. news media from 1998 to 2012 found that coverage focused overwhelmingly on criminal justice-oriented solutions, while evidence-based public health solutions received little coverage. For example, medication treatments for opioid use disorder appeared in only 9% of news stories, and solutions such as syringe service programs and safe consumption sites were mentioned in just 5% and 2% of news stories, respectively (McGinty). 

While policy changes are necessary to support prevention and treatment, stigma attached to opioid use disorders matters as well. Mass media, whether through television shows on streaming platforms or newspaper headlines and articles, play a critical role in shaping people’s perceptions and attitudes. 

The Reality

The reality is more complex and less visible. Contrary to media portrayals of drug empires and dark alleys, there are many medical pathways to opioid use. In 2023, among people who reported misuse of prescription pain relievers, more than two-thirds did so to relieve physical pain (SAMHSA). 

Opioid use also crosses socioeconomic and demographic lines. The opioid crisis initially grew through prescription medication abuse among white suburban and rural Americans. While drug epidemics in the U.S. have historically disproportionately impacted communities of color, opioid overdose deaths have been concentrated in lower-income, predominantly white regions (Netherland).

But this is not a single population issue. A 2019 CDC report found that from 2015 to 2017, nearly all racial/ethnic and age groups experienced significant increases in both opioid-involved and synthetic opioid-involved overdose death rates (Lippold). While disparities exist, the trend was clear: opioid use affects many different communities in many different ways.

The reality is that opioid use isn’t always visible. High-functioning individuals with full-time jobs, supportive families, and stable routines can still struggle with dependence. These individuals show up in our daily lives: students, coworkers, parents, teachers, professionals. 

What Can We Do?

The opioid overdose crisis is a complex public health emergency that requires a multifaceted solution. However, reducing stigma at the individual level matters. 

Here are three simple steps we can take:

A - Awareness of Resources

Understanding what help looks like and where to find it can reduce the initial barriers of not knowing where to start. This includes:

  • Knowing hotline numbers
  • Understanding local recovery programs
  • Learning about naloxone distribution and fentanyl test strips

C - Challenge Stigma

We can correct false beliefs and reduce shame by challenging what we’ve been taught to believe. This includes:

  • Practicing media literacy and questioning media portrayals that reinforce stereotypes
  • Using nonjudgmental language
  • Reframing drug use and/or addiction as a health condition and not a moral failure

E - Empathy

Creating a culture of compassion allows people to speak openly, which is valuable for encouraging others to seek community or treatment and feel supported. This includes:

  • Listening without assumptions
  • Offering a safe space for people to speak their minds
  • Recognizing that pathways like recovery are long-term and nonlinear

End Overdose is a great starting point for awareness of resources. Check out our training resources for saving lives in opioid overdose emergencies here, as well as free naloxone and fentanyl test strip distribution here.

References

Bouzoubaa, Layla, Ramtin Ehsani, Preetha Chatterjee, Rezvaneh Rezapour, College of Computing & Informatics, and Corresponding Author:Layla Bouzoubaa. “Shifting Narratives in Media Coverage across a Decade of Drug Discourse in the Philadelphia Inquirer: Qualitative Sentiment Analysis.” JMIR Infodemiology, May 13, 2025. https://infodemiology.jmir.org/2025/1/e56004.

Friedman J, Kim D, Schneberk T, et al. Assessment of Racial/Ethnic and Income Disparities in the Prescription of Opioids and Other Controlled Medications in California. JAMA Intern Med. 2019;179(4):469–476. February 11, 2019. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.6721

McGinty, Emma E., Stone, Elizabeth M., Kennedy-Hendricks, Alene, Sanders, Kaylynn, Beacham, Alexa, Barry, Colleen L., “U.S. news media coverage of solutions to the opioid crisis, 2013–2017.” Preventive Medicine, Volume 126, 2019, 105771, ISSN 0091-7435, September 2019, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.105771.

Netherland, Julie, and Helena Hansen. “White Opioids: Pharmaceutical Race and the War on Drugs That Wasn’t - Biosocieties.” SpringerLink, June 28, 2017. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/biosoc.2015.46.

“Racial/Ethnic and Age Group Differences in Opioid and Synthetic Opioid–Involved Overdose Deaths among Adults Aged ≥18 Years in Metropolitan Areas - United States, 2015–2017.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, November 1, 2019. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6843a3.htm.

“Results from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use And ...” Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, July 2024. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt47095/National%20Report/National%20Report/2023-nsduh-annual-national.pdf.

Tsai, Alexander C, Mathew V Kiang, Michael L Barnett, Leo Beletsky, Katherine M Keyes, Emma E McGinty, Laramie R Smith, Steffanie A Strathdee, Sarah E Wakeman, and Atheendar S Venkataramani. “Stigma as a Fundamental Hindrance to the United States Opioid Overdose Crisis Response.” PLoS medicine, November 26, 2019. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6957118/.

Webster, Fiona, Rice, Kathleen, Sud, Abhimanyu. “A critical content analysis of media reporting on opioids: The social construction of an epidemic.” Social Science & Medicine, Volume 244, 2020, 112642, ISSN 0277-9536, January 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112642.

AUTHOR

Diane Zhou is a senior at UCLA double majoring in Cognitive Science and Communication with Computing Specializations. She hopes to pursue a career in the business field in the future. She is currently a Nonprofit Development Intern, gaining a broad overview of and strengthening skills across nonprofit operations, including brand collaborations, blog writing, grant research, and more.