|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By Anika Gupta
From the black-and-white short films “Rube in an Opium Joint” and “Chinese Opium Den” by Thomas Edison to modern television like “Beautiful Boy” and “Euphoria”, opioids have been a part of popular media since the late nineteenth century.
Throughout the long history of opioid portrayal in television, depictions and reactions have fluctuated.
1955 brought the two-hour film “The Man with the Golden Arm” starring the notable Frank Sinatra. This highly controversial film focuses on the story of a heroin-addict named Frankie who struggles to stay off drugs after leaving prison. The film points out the immense struggle of curbing addiction, but also reflects societal ideas of that era that stopping addiction could come from sheer willpower.
Like all movies, before it could be released it had to be reviewed by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), which gives movies a seal of approval to be played in larger theaters. Unfortunately, during the ‘50s, the MPAA enforced the Hays Code, a set of rules for movie-makers that hoped to censor the American public from depictions of unacceptable behaviors. This code deemed depictions of drug addiction and drug trafficking to be against the public good. Because of this, “The Man with the Golden Arm” wouldn’t be approved until 1961.
Though this movie eventually made it to the big screens, other films that showed drug use were shot down due to censorship. The Hays Code reflects the fears and stigma towards opioid use, as well as the belief that the problem can be “solved” by ignoring or separating the issue from the general public.
A few decades later, the Nixon administration’s war on drugs brought new perspectives of drug use in the media. These shifting attitudes are heavily reflected in “The French Connection“. The film follows a pair of New York police officers tracking down a heroin-smuggler, emphasizing government and law enforcement’s role in combating drug trade and use.
This marks a societal shift from the use of censorship toward showcasing strict punishment for drug-use. Certain segments of society, however, responded to the normalization and increased knowledge of drugs with more empathetic and realistic portrayals.
“The Panic in Needle Park” is one example of such. The 1971 movie chronicles Al Pacino’s character, Bobby, and his girlfriend, Helen, played by Kitty Winn, through their spiral into heroin-addiction in New York as the police start to crack down on drug use.
They end the movie, not with a miraculous recovery, but with the bleak understanding that they will continue down the path of addiction. This demonstrates a deeper understanding that the problem of addiction cannot be solved simply by criminalizing drugs or having a miraculous recovery.
The 21st century brought an even deeper understanding of the causes of opioid addiction and how addiction progresses over time. Topics of drug use are common throughout mainstream television as conversations around drug use have become more open.
Popular television shows like “Euphoria”, in which teenage character Rue gets addicted to opioids after her father’s death, show how mental illnesses like anxiety and depression along with traumatic experiences can encourage drug use.
Similarly, the 2018 movie “Beautiful Boy“, based on the real experiences of father David Sheff and son Nic Sheff, show the challenges of relapse and how professional intervention like rehab may be needed to reach sobriety.
Both pieces of media frame addiction as a complex issue shaped by a variety of circumstances rather than by personal failure or weakness. They reflect a modern knowledge of opioid use by emphasizing compassion for the characters, various forms of treatment, and realities of recovery.
Overall, media can be used to decode past and present perceptions around opioid use and addiction.
Society has evolved throughout the century to look at drug issues through a more nuanced lens rather than with stigma and moral judgement. In this way, film and television don’t only mirror public attitudes but also help shape conversations surrounding hard subjects.
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 and the grant is administered by Three Valleys Community Foundation.
New retail, dining options coming to Stoneridge Shopping Center later this yearApril 19, 2026 9:24 pm
