![]() ![]() “I think that’s a missed opportunity to highlight a treatment like buprenorphine,” says Fiellin. According to Robert Miranda, professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University (who knows about the show’s emphasis on drug use but does not watch it), buprenorphine reduces cravings and withdrawal symptoms by activating the same parts of the brain as opioids, but doesn’t trigger the same “high” or side effects. So far, the show has not depicted one of the most successful treatments for opioid-use disorder: medications like buprenorphine. “I’m hoping that at least there’s some acknowledgement that, ‘Hey, there are options there.’” “There’s just an inevitable that we’re going to see Rue die” in future seasons, he says. Sulman Aziz Mirza, a psychiatrist who specializes in adult, child and adolescent, and addiction psychiatry (and who watches the show), says he wishes Rue’s storyline would show her trying different options that could help her recover. Fiellin says that relationships like this with “folks who are supporting you and listening,” can be essential for recovery. ![]() However, NA does enable Rue to develop a powerful connection with her sponsor, Ali Muhammad, who pushes her to change the way she looks at the world. Rehab programs can vary in quality and be very expensive, while NA can sometimes alienate people who are less religious-like Rue, who declares she doesn’t believe in God. While these programs can help some people, they’re not for everyone, and come with certain drawbacks, psychiatrists say. On Euphoria, Rue has participated in two main treatments: inpatient rehab in season one and Narcotics Anonymous (NA)-which, like Alcoholics Anonymous, is a 12-step-model emphasizing spirituality and abstinence from substances. This is a major concern, because opioid use is often deadly in young people: in 2020, nearly 6,000 youth ages 15 to 24 died of an overdose involving opioids in the U.S, amounting to 84% of all drug overdose deaths in that age group, according to National Center for Health Statistics data. Rue takes many different types of drugs throughout the show-from marijuana to Xanax-but she most commonly uses opioids. “ Euphoria depicts exactly what is going on,” she says. The problem seems to be growing, too in 2020, millions more kids tried drugs for the first time. Lynn Fiellin, professor of medicine at the Yale School of Medicine and Child Study Center, who is trained in addiction medicine and behavioral health (and who is a fan of the show). In the U.S., about 1.6 million kids ages 12 to 17-6.3% of the adolescent population-had substance use disorder in 2020, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In January, D.A.R.E.-the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program- criticized the show for “glorify” high school drug use and making it seem “common and widespread in today’s world.” But drug use is not uncommon among high school students today. The show has sparked controversy over how it portrays teen drug use. What Euphoria gets right: Drug use isn’t rare among teens
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