Hollywood can absolutely slow the opioid crisis by exposing the truth

It’s the height of Hollywood’s annual season of self-congratulations, culminating in the Academy Awards on Sunday. We’ve come to expect both glamour and politics at these shows, with acceptance speeches often advancing a social agenda. The power of film and television is undeniable at a time when more than 60 million Americans subscribe to Netflix alone.

That’s why  calling on Hollywood to do a better job of leveraging its influence to slow the opioid crisis.

One way Hollywood could contribute is through more accurate representation of both addiction and overdose. A character in the Netflix series, You, was given the opioid overdose while sitting upright and having a conversation.