Report sparks concern about pain medication given during childbirth
Posts also repeated myths about fentanyl-laced marijuana and expressed outrage at a consulting firm that pushed OxyContin sales.
Posts also repeated myths about fentanyl-laced marijuana and expressed outrage at a consulting firm that pushed OxyContin sales.
This past week, posts responded to a report about people who are given routine pain medication during labor and delivery and later lose custody of their children due to positive drug tests. Some comments falsely suggested that administering pain medication during labor is not safe for pregnant people or their babies. Plus, a post from an X user who claimed to have unknowingly used fentanyl-laced marijuana ignited a debate about the prevalence of the drug. Additionally, articles about a consulting firm’s recent settlement for its role in the opioid crisis prompted sadness about lives lost to overdoses.
In response, public health communicators may explain why some pain medications are safely used to assist with labor and delivery, debunk myths about fentanyl-laced marijuana, and share tools that prevent overdose deaths.
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What’s trending nationally in conversations about opioids
On December 11, the Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization, published a report explaining that some pregnant people who are given medication by health care providers to reduce anxiety and pain during labor and delivery—such as benzodiazepines, fentanyl, and morphine—are later reported to Child Protective Services for having positive drug tests, sometimes losing custody of their children. The report was shared widely across multiple social media platforms. One X post sharing the report received approximately 4.7 million views, 89,000 likes, 17,000 reposts, and 620 comments as of December 18. The post shared a quote from the report (“In New York, a mother with no history of drug use lost custody of her toddler and newborn for five months after she tested positive for fentanyl that the hospital had given her in her epidural”) and called the event “state-sanctioned violence.” Comments primarily expressed concern and surprise, and some encouraged pregnant people to avoid pain medication during labor, falsely claiming that it is unsafe for pregnant people and their babies.
On December 10, an X user shared a screenshot of an alleged text conversation with a marijuana dealer who had supposedly sold him marijuana laced with fentanyl. The post received approximately 2.5 million views, 16,000 likes, 700 reposts, and 290 comments as of December 18. Comments expressed outrage at the dealer and concern about unknowingly purchasing fentanyl-laced marijuana. Another X user shared the original post with text that read, “Cannabis cannot be laced with fentanyl because it is destroyed & rendered inert when exposed to an open flame.” The response received approximately 1.3 million views, 29,000 likes, 2,400 reposts, and 100 comments as of December 18. Some comments agreed that fentanyl-laced marijuana is a myth, while others claimed it is prevalent in the illicit drug supply.
On December 13, several articles reported that consulting firm McKinsey & Company agreed to pay $650 million to settle a federal investigation into the firm’s work to boost OxyContin sales. Social media posts shared the articles across multiple platforms, with some receiving hundreds of thousands of views. Most comments expressed that the settlement money is “not enough” to punish the firm for its involvement in the opioid crisis. Many also expressed sadness about lives that have been lost to opioid overdoses.
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Recommendations for public health professionals
Each week, the Infodemiology.com team will provide messaging recommendations in response to some of the trending narratives outlined above. These helpful tips can be used when creating content, updating web and FAQ pages, and developing strategy for messaging about opioids.
In light of concerns about medication administered during labor, communicators may outline the types of pain medications that are used to assist with labor and delivery. Messaging may emphasize that medications used to relieve pain during childbirth are safe for pregnant people and their babies and do not have long-term effects. Sharing alternative ways to ease labor pains and tips for self-advocacy during labor is recommended.
Myths about fentanyl-laced marijuana are persistent. In response, communicators may clarify that many anecdotal reports about fentanyl-laced marijuana have been found to be false and that the risk of encountering fentanyl-laced marijuana is low. Messaging may explain that using fentanyl test strips to determine if marijuana contains fentanyl is not recommended, as test strips are designed for testing powders and pills. The best way to ensure that marijuana is not contaminated is to purchase it from a licensed dispensary.
Posts about overdose deaths provide an opportunity to recirculate materials outlining the signs of an opioid overdose and explain where people can access naloxone and how to use it. Messaging may emphasize that naloxone is available over the counter, that it can be administered by any bystander, and that many states have laws protecting people who are overdosing and those assisting them from certain legal penalties.