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TV and movies are a part of everyday life, and the media can convey topics ranging from lighthearted to heavy. Television can range from courtroom dramas to the blood, sweat, and tears behind the life of a medical professional. Even parts of those everyday topics include heavy issues such as the opioid crisis.
The opioid crisis has been a global issue since the early 20th century, but public perception shifted drastically following the rise of Big Pharma’s role in fueling addiction. To summarize, the crisis intensified in the 1990s when pharmaceutical companies—most notably Purdue Pharma, run by the Sackler family—heavily marketed opioid medications like OxyContin as non-addictive painkillers, despite evidence to the contrary.
In a report in the National Library of Medicine, Purdue Pharma encouraged doctors to prescribe these drugs for pain management, leading to widespread overprescription, addiction, and a massive surge in overdose deaths. An investigation started in 2002 on the company led to a lawsuit from the FDA, but the aftermath of the Pharma scandal left a heavy mark on society, with the shift in public perception viewing opioids as “dangerous”, a “drug”, and those who took them to be “junkies”.
While this scar has been slowly healing with outreach organizations helping those affected, stronger restrictions on opioid distribution, and journalists willing to spread awareness, some decided to bring this change right in everyone’s face through the television screen.
Modern shows have attempted to depict the complexity of addiction, personal struggles in overcoming it, and how society views the crisis in the modern age, though the struggle exists in how well these shows depict the crisis and those suffering from addiction accurately, with each presenting a different lens from both healthcare providers and patients.
The shows were praised for their emotional honesty in the matter, while being criticized for running the risk of oversimplifying or dramatizing the issue for entertainment. With an issue that covers all aspects of life with opioids, there are many shows and documentaries on a spectrum from historically accurate to fictional stories grounded in reality.
“Dopestick” is a drama miniseries that focuses on “the epicenter of America’s struggle with opioid addiction” across the US and those affected by it, detailing the court case involving the FTC and the United States Department of Justice against their dubious business regarding Purdue Pharma. The story was initially based on a book by Beth Macy called “Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America.”
During development of the show, the series did extensive research to make it as accurate as possible, according to NPR, where they “brought in people from small towns and with opioid abuse disorder. They consulted a doctor who had been addicted to OxyContin who revealed the horrors he suffered,” with the entire process being supervised by the book’s creator: Beth Macy.
Although several characters were fictionalized, many of their stories were indeed based on real events, such as the struggles of law enforcement to hold the Sacklers and Purdue Pharma accountable for their actions.
While the show does well in portraying the intricate dimensions of the Purdue Pharma conflict, authors of a research article in the PLOS One journal and countless others believe “its narrative oversimplifies the story in attributing the cause of the problem to exclusively Purdue Pharma and its director Richard Sackler,” offering a simple solution to an incredibly difficult crisis.
In relation to the opioid crisis as a whole, “Dopestick” not only highlights the impact of Purdue’s actions but also the systematic failures, such as regulatory agencies’ inability to catch these issues.
Medical institutions are unable to double-check Purdue’s claims. By bringing these issues to light, it not only keeps people informed but also forces them to confront harrowing themes of corporate greed and medical malpractice. Yet “Dopestick” accomplishes its job with one truth: That the issue can’t be pinpointed to one single villain.
Another facet of opioid addiction depicted is in medical shows such as “House, MD.” While not explicitly made to call on the larger epidemic, the show decides to narrow its focus to a personal lens of addiction. The show started as a concept for a CSI-style medical detective show, focusing on doctors investigating medical mysteries with the unconventional main character utilizing the painkiller Vicodin (a prescription opioid) to deal with the pain in his leg. His portrayal displays how anyone, even clinicians, can fall prey to opioids, highlighting ripple effects on relationships, trust, and professional responsibility.
According to an article from an opioid addiction recovery provider, stories like “House’s reliance on Vicodin underscored the complex interplay between substance abuse and high-functioning behavior.”
The type of professionalism portrayed within shows how the opioid crisis doesn’t discriminate between education, career, or intelligence, and how careless opioid prescription could lead to an addiction that could go unnoticed for years.
Another show that hits close to the modern demographics for opioid addiction is “Euphoria,” a show about a group of teens dealing with social issues, including drug addiction. The complicated perspective deviates from the documentary, fact-based style and the medical-oriented drama to provide a relatable series about teenagers dealing with the same issues.
While blending a fictional story with real-life aspects, “Euphoria” creates a narrative that resonates with everyone, fostering empathy, dialogue, and a deeper understanding of the complexities of addiction in modern society. Though for a show that depicts a realistic depiction of teens suffering through addiction, it has also had its issues with “glamorising” the use of drugs.
The National Council of Mental Wellbeing states that “often as part of dramatic plotlines designed to draw the audience’s attention. There are many shows and movies that glamorize ‘teenage party culture’ by lightheartedly integrating it into scenes, thereby feeding into the impression that teen substance use is a normal occurrence with few repercussions.”
This highlights a broader trend in media: while fictional series can humanize addiction and raise awareness, they must strike a balance between storytelling and responsible representation, ensuring accurate facts that don’t exacerbate the crisis or negatively impact its reputation.
There are numerous shows that attempt to strike a balance between fact and fiction. Some shows like “DopeStick” shed light and dramatize Purdue’s manipulative marketing of OxyContin and its impact on the larger community, A show similar to Dopestick: Painkiller focus on Purdue Pharma and its rise to influence, “Euphoria’s” focus on early opioid use and its easy distribution in communities, and medical shows such as “House, MD” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” each with its own take on the opioid crisis in hospitals.
With the increasing number of voices that stand up and speak out on important issues, TV has become a powerful medium not only for entertainment but also for education, empathy, and advocacy on real-world issues, such as opioid addiction.
This article was written as part of a program to educate youth and others about Alameda County’s opioid crisis, prevention and treatment options. The program is funded by the Alameda County Behavioral Health Department and the grant is administered by Three Valleys Community Foundation.
