A national survey conducted by Weill Cornell Medicine researchers found that approximately 88% of adults view opioid overdose deaths as a very serious problem, with high agreement across political groups. The study, published January 16 in JAMA Network Open, indicates a shift in public perception regarding responsibility for the crisis. Historically, individuals using opioids were primarily held responsible, particularly by conservatives. However, the new findings show that more people across the political spectrum are now placing responsibility on pharmaceutical companies, alongside individuals.
Dr. Beth McGinty, first author of the study, noted that the increased focus on pharmaceutical companies might be due to extensive news coverage of lawsuits highlighting their role in the crisis. The survey was conducted in 2025 by Dr. McGinty, Dr. Colleen L. Barry, and their colleagues, involving 1,552 adults demographically representative of Black and non-Hispanic white adults in the national population. It explored perceptions of opioid overdose deaths and how views differed by political ideology.
The study results coincide with a nearly 27% decrease in U.S. opioid overdose deaths, from 83,140 in 2023 to 54,743 in 2024, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The survey also revealed political distinctions in assigning responsibility: more conservatives and moderates felt individuals using opioids should be responsible for reducing overdose deaths, while more liberals felt pharmaceutical companies should be liable.
The research highlighted the social stigma associated with addiction, with about 38% of participants unwilling to have a person with opioid addiction as a neighbor, and 58% unwilling to have someone with opioid addiction marry into their family. This desire for social distance was substantially higher among conservatives compared to moderates or liberals. Previous research indicates that such stigma can impede the implementation of evidence-based policies for prevention and treatment of opioid use disorder.
Dr. McGinty noted that addressing the overdose crisis should remain a policy priority, but differing views on responsibility and stigma across political ideologies may influence future actions. Her team is further examining public support for state laws that require substance use treatment programs to offer medications for treating opioid use disorder as a condition for licensing, emphasizing these medications as the most effective treatment for preventing overdose.