The media's representation of illicit substance use can lead to harmful stereotypes and stigmatization for individuals struggling with addiction, ultimately influencing public perception, policy, and public health outcomes. To explore how the discourse and coverage of illicit drug use changed over time, this study analyzes 157,476 articles published in the Philadelphia Inquirer over a decade. Specifically, the study focuses on articles that mentioned at least one commonly abused substance, resulting in a sample of 3,903 articles. Our analysis shows that cannabis and narcotics are the most frequently discussed classes of drugs. Hallucinogenic drugs are portrayed more positively than other categories, whereas narcotics are portrayed the most negatively. Our research aims to highlight the need for accurate and inclusive portrayals of substance use and addiction in the media.

翻译：媒体对非法物质使用的描述可能导致对成瘾者的有害刻板印象和污名化，最终影响公众认知、政策制定和公共卫生结果。为探究非法药物使用的论述和报道如何随时间变化，本研究分析了十年间《费城问询报》发表的157,476篇文章。具体而言，研究聚焦于提及至少一种常见滥用物质的文章，最终获得3,903篇样本。分析表明，大麻和麻醉品是讨论最频繁的药物类别。迷幻药物的呈现方式较其他类别更为积极，而麻醉品的描绘最为负面。本研究旨在强调媒体需以准确且包容的方式呈现物质使用与成瘾问题。