This page highlights three ethnographic studies which provide some perspectives from communities that represent a reflection of the different cultures present in the U.S. Some perceptions include a transfer of blame to individuals experiencing addiction to opioids and a denial that they could experience that addiction themselves. This page also includes a legal perspective through a semi-structured interview with an attorney who has worked on major "pill mill" cases . Understanding these perspectives are vital to the success of solutions addressing the opioid crisis.
Experiences of Communities
George County, Indiana
A qualitative study in which interviews were conducted in George County, Indiana explored perspectives on the opioid crisis and a needle exchange program opening in the community. Indiana state has a very large population of evangelical Protestants. A belief of evangelical Protestants is that those who use illicit substances and are addicted are morally corrupt. Reducing harm is not enough; eradication of drug use aligns more closely with the evangelical Protestant belief. This could explain a lack of support for needle exchange programs in the community. One of the interviewees expressed that those with a religious background are more likely to view addiction as a “character defect, a moral issue”(Szott 2018) in which your spirituality is not enough. Another interviewee stated that some people “might deny the existence of an addiction problem”(Szott 2018) when they use a religious explanation. In areas of the U.S. where highly religious communities are present, the perception of the opioid crisis may lead to greater blame on the individuals whom are addicted and emphasis on resolving their addiction through religious means.
A qualitative study in which interviews were conducted in George County, Indiana explored perspectives on the opioid crisis and a needle exchange program opening in the community. Indiana state has a very large population of evangelical Protestants. A belief of evangelical Protestants is that those who use illicit substances and are addicted are morally corrupt. Reducing harm is not enough; eradication of drug use aligns more closely with the evangelical Protestant belief. This could explain a lack of support for needle exchange programs in the community. One of the interviewees expressed that those with a religious background are more likely to view addiction as a “character defect, a moral issue”(Szott 2018) in which your spirituality is not enough. Another interviewee stated that some people “might deny the existence of an addiction problem”(Szott 2018) when they use a religious explanation. In areas of the U.S. where highly religious communities are present, the perception of the opioid crisis may lead to greater blame on the individuals whom are addicted and emphasis on resolving their addiction through religious means.
Veterans in the Midwest
Veterans in the Midwestern region with a history of chronic pain or opioid use were interviewed in a study to understand their perceptions on the opioid crisis. This study shows some perspectives of veterans in the U.S. on the opioid crisis. Major findings included blaming others--others experiencing pain like their own--for creating this crisis, and being understanding of the difficulties providers face with their hesitation to prescribe opioids. The veterans also expressed nervousness that they would be viewed as addicts if they use opioids, even as properly prescribed. These participants do not seek to blame pharmaceutical companies, nor see themselves as a risk for experiencing addiction, which is still possible if taken opioids as prescribed. They seem to be placing blame on the individuals experiencing addiction themselves and not on the suppliers of opioids.