Missed opportunities: Public health messaging in media coverage of drug seizures

IF 1.9 Q2 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

Public Health in Practice Pub Date : 2025-03-14 DOI:10.1016/j.puhip.2025.100601

Sunyou Kang , Jule von der Heydt , Renuka Anjali Joshi-Dave , Julia Papasodoro , Leo Beletsky , Bradley Ray

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Abstract

Objective

To examine mainstream media coverage of drug seizures and identify trends in messaging on substance use treatment and other public health responses.

Study design

We compiled news reports published January 2022–May 2024 on drug seizures in the United States.

Methods

We extracted information on incident trends (including geography, drugs and other items seized, agencies involved, and mentions of substance use treatment-related resources).

Results

Only three of 211 articles (1 %) had any mention of substance use treatment or other public health-related resources. Of those three articles, only one provided actionable information linking to resources.

Conclusions

Drug seizure-related media coverage is a missed opportunity to prevent drug-related harms. The lack of public health messaging in drug seizure-related media coverage should be rectified by refocusing coverage away from drug enforcement narratives and instead provide guidance towards evidence-based resources and services.

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错失的机会：在媒体报道缉获毒品时传递公共卫生信息

目的审查主流媒体对毒品缉获的报道，确定药物使用治疗和其他公共卫生应对措施的信息传递趋势。研究设计我们汇编了2022年1月至2024年5月发表的关于美国毒品缉获的新闻报道。方法提取事件趋势信息（包括地理位置、查获的毒品和其他物品、涉及的机构、提及的药物使用治疗相关资源）。结果211篇文章中只有3篇（1%）提到了药物使用治疗或其他公共健康相关资源。在这三篇文章中，只有一篇提供了链接到资源的可操作信息。结论媒体对缉获毒品的报道，错失了预防毒品危害的机会。与毒品缉获有关的媒体报道中缺乏公共卫生信息的问题应予以纠正，办法是将报道的重点从对毒品执法的叙述转移到对循证资源和服务的指导上来。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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