Popular media misinformation on neonatal abstinence syndrome, 2015-2021

BACKGROUND

As the overdose crisis unfolded, narratives mischaracterizing neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) as "addicted babies" with echoes to the "crack babies" panic proliferated in mainstream media. his study examines NAS misinformation dynamics and characteristics over a seven-year period.

METHODS

Based on a comprehensive query, Media Cloud was used to compile mainstream media content relating to NAS between 2015 and 2021. Articles were redundantly coded on key parameters such as speakers represented, publication source, and scientific accuracy.

RESULTS

Of the 348 articles meeting search criteria, 264 (76 %) featured misinformed narratives, 70 (20 %) featured informed narratives, and 14 (4 %) featured both informed and misinformed content. Most frequent misinformation elements related to misrepresentation of babies as "addicted" at birth and exaggeration of NAS symptomatology and long-term harms. Least represented voices were people most affected, with just 11 (2 %) featuring mothers who used opioids prepartum.

DISCUSSION

Since misinformation contributes to punitive legal responses and harms patient care, efforts to prevent, monitor, and address inaccurate and stigmatizing narratives are essential to improving policy and practice.

The Other Infodemic: Media Misinformation about Involuntary Commitment for Substance Use

BACKGROUND

As drug-related deaths have surged, the number and scope of legal mechanisms authorizing involuntary commitment for substance use have expanded. Media coverage of involuntary commitment routinely ignores documented health and ethical concerns. Prevalence and dynamics of misinformation about involuntary commitment for substance use have not been assessed.

METHODS

Media content mentioning involuntary commitment for substance use published between January 2015 and October 2020 was aggregated using MediaCloud. Articles were redundantly coded for viewpoints presented, substances mentioned, discussion of incarceration, and mentions of specific drugs. In addition, we tracked Facebook shares of coded content.

RESULTS

Nearly half (48%) of articles unequivocally endorsed involuntary commitment, 30% presented a mixed viewpoint, and 22% endorsed a health-based or rights-based critique. Only 7% of articles included perspectives of people with lived experience of involuntary commitment. Critical articles received nearly twice as many Facebook shares (199,909 shares) as supportive and mixed narratives combined (112,429 shares combined).

DISCUSSION

Empirical and ethical concerns about involuntary commitment for substance use are largely absent from coverage in mainstream media, as are voices of those with lived experience. Better alignment between news coverage and science is vital to inform effective policy responses to emerging public health challenges.

Unlocking deflection: The role of supervisor support in police officer willingness to refer people who inject drugs to harm reduction services

BACKGROUND

Research is needed that investigates the relationship between police behaviors, attitudes, and perceived supervisor support as an implementation strategy of improving drug policy reforms.

METHODS

We hypothesized that officers with more positive attitudes and practices would be more likely to report the perceived support of their supervisors. Data includes a sample of 1227 police officers who completed Project ESCUDO, a police education training program in Tijuana, Mexico. A negative binomial distribution was used to estimate associations between police behaviors and attitudes and perceived supervisor support.

RESULTS

Officers who reported perceived supervisor support accounted for 29.2% (n=470) of the sample. Officers who referred people to social services were more likely and officers who broke syringes were less likely to report perceived supervisor support compared to officers who did not engage in these practices. Officers who believed: MOUD reduced criminal activity, "referring people who use drugs to social services is part of my job", and "laws that treat addiction as a public health problem make my job easier", were more likely to report perceived supervisor support. Beliefs that drug addiction is a disease, laws that treat addiction as a public health problem make their job easier, and talking to other law enforcement officers about infectious diseases were not significantly associated with perceived supervisor support.

CONCLUSIONS

Our research highlights the importance of incorporating police supervisors as key actors in assuring officers' practices reflect current drug law reforms as well as embrace patient-centered approaches to managing encounters people who use opioids and inject drugs.

Martin Y. Iguchi (1955-2021)

This article memorializes Martin Y. Iguchi (1955-2021). Dr Iguchi was a pioneering clinical scientist and lifelong champion of equity and racial justice and he died after a lengthy illness on June 5, 2021. At the time of his death, Dr. Iguchi was a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation and director of redesign for the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Iguchi's contribution to addiction research is immeasurable. He was the principal investigator on dozens of projects totaling over $18 million in funding. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).