A Qualitative Content Analysis of the Impact of the Media on the Opioid Crisis

Nova Southeastern University NSUWorks Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations CAHSS Theses and Dissertations 2019 A Qualitative Content Analysis of The Impact of the Media on the Opioid Crisis Mark Haskins Follow this and additional works at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/shss_dcar_etd Part of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons Share Feedback About This Item This Dissertation is brought to you by the CAHSS Theses and Dissertations at NSUWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of NSUWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A Qualitative Content Analysis of the Impact of the Media on the Opioid Crisis by Mark P. Haskins A Dissertation Presented to the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences of Nova Southeastern University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Nova Southeastern University 2019 Copyright © by Mark P. Haskins September 2019 Nova Southeastern University College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Dedication This work is dedicated to the late Dr. John Ebersole, Former President of Excelsior College, for without his brief words of encouragement some years ago upon the conferral of my Master’s Degree; I would not be here today. “If Courage is the quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face difficulty, danger and pain with firmness and without fear, and Learning is knowledge or skill acquired by instruction, study or experience, then Courageous Learning is the demonstration of mental or moral strength to venture into the world of lifelong learning, while withstanding fears of failure and the difficulties of life, in search of new skills and new knowledge.” Dr. John Ebersole and William Patrick Courageous Learning: Finding a New Path Through Higher Education Acknowledgments No part of this momentous undertaking would have been possible without the support and encouragement from my family. Always encouraging and supporting this endeavor forced me to continue when discouraged, completing when almost giving up, and instilling in me the belief that nothing is impossible. For without them, there would be just another day. I would also like to thank the faculty at Nova Southeastern, especially my Chair Dr. Dustin Berna and committee members Dr. Ismael Muvingi and Dr. Elena Bastidas. What they have taught me, and their guidance throughout my time here, can never be overstated. I would also like to thank the program support staff for keeping me on schedule during the process. To my cohorts; we drove, encouraged and supported each other never giving up and always seeing that light at the end of the tunnel no matter how small of a flicker it may have seemed at times. Finally, I would like to thank Dr. Robin Cooper whose guidance and assistance encouraged me from beginning to end. Table of Contents List of Tables ......................................................................................................................v List of Figures ................................................................................................................... vi Abstract ............................................................................................................................ vii Chapter 1: Introduction .......................................................................................................1 Controlled Substance History in the United States ........................................................1 Statement of the Problem ..........................................................................................8 Purpose of the Study .................................................................................................9 Research Question ..................................................................................................10 Theoretical Framework ...........................................................................................10 Exemplification Theory ..........................................................................................11 Framing Theory ......................................................................................................12 Social Conflict Theory ............................................................................................14 Definition of Terms .................................................................................................16 Chapter 2: Literature Review ............................................................................................20 Introduction ..................................................................................................................20 The Framing of a Drug Crisis .................................................................................22 Another Moral Panic ...............................................................................................28 Tactics Used in the Drug Scare ...............................................................................38 America's Intolerance for Pain and Discomfort ......................................................45 The Opioid Crisis ....................................................................................................47 The Marketing of Pharmaceuticals .........................................................................53 Socioeconomic Status and Stratification ................................................................60 i SES and Healthcare .................................................................................................62 SES and Drug Laws ................................................................................................64 Opioid Addiction ....................................................................................................67 Failed Strategies, The War on Drugs ......................................................................71 Opioid Legalization ................................................................................................74 Opioid Treatment ....................................................................................................75 Internet and Opioid .................................................................................................77 Policing the Prescribers ...........................................................................................78 Economic Costs of Opioid Use ...............................................................................81 Inconsistent Reporting ............................................................................................82 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................84 Chapter 3: Research Method .............................................................................................86 Qualitative Content Analysis .......................................................................................86 Introduction .............................................................................................................86 Methodology ...........................................................................................................86 Data Collection .......................................................................................................90 NVivo ......................................................................................................................92 Data Analysis ..........................................................................................................93 Coding the Articles .................................................................................................94 Reliability and Validity ...........................................................................................96 Limitations of the Study ..........................................................................................98 Background of the Researcher .....................................................................................99 Chapter 4: Findings of the Study ....................................................................................103 ii Introduction ................................................................................................................103 Overview of Findings ...........................................................................................104 Findings .................................................................................................................112 Crack Babies .........................................................................................................115 Violence and Crime Attributed to Crack ..............................................................116 Opioid Addicted Babied-'Oxytots' ........................................................................117 Violence Attributed to Opioids .............................................................................120 Crack Users ...........................................................................................................124 Opioid Users .........................................................................................................125 Constructing the Narrative ....................................................................................133 Not Just Opioids ....................................................................................................139

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