Survey Finds Broad Alarm Over Overdose Crisis, With Partisan Split on Responsibility

Overview

• The JAMA Network Open study, published Jan. 16, analyzes a 2025 national web survey of 1,552 adults.
• Across political groups, 88% of respondents say opioid overdose deaths are a very serious problem.
• Conservatives and moderates more often assign responsibility to individuals, while liberals more often point to pharmaceutical companies, with a cross-spectrum shift toward blaming drug makers.
• Stigma remains substantial, with 38% unwilling to have a neighbor with opioid addiction and 58% opposed to someone with opioid addiction marrying into their family, especially among conservatives.
• Findings come alongside CDC data showing a nearly 27% drop in opioid overdose deaths from 2023 to 2024, as researchers assess support for lawsuits, settlement-funded programs, and requirements that treatment programs offer medications for opioid use disorder.