The Impact of Viewing Opioid Overdose Photos on Stigma, Desire for Social Distance, and Willingness to Help

Police departments have publicly posted photos of individuals who have overdosed on drugs in order to generate awareness of the issue to the community, although research has not examined the impact of these social media campaigns. The present study used a between-subjects design to examine the effect of viewing opioid overdose photos on the level of stigma, social distance, willingness to help, and support for drug-related policy items. Participants were 124 college students who were randomly assigned to view overdose photos or nonoverdose photos contained within an ostensible website and then responded to measures asking about their attitudes about substance use. Participants who viewed opioid overdose images reported a lower willingness to help compared to those who viewed nonoverdose images, but no differences were observed for stigma, desire for social distance, or support for policy items. Interventions using scare tactics to curb opioid use may have unintended consequences including undermining support for drug addicts.