Will Poulter on challenging stereotypes in new opioid drama: ‘Shame on us for stigmatizing people’
Will Poulter discusses his leading role in Union County, an independent drama about opioid addiction and recovery set around a real drug recovery court in rural Ohio. He says the film aims to challenge the stigma attached to people with substance dependency by focusing on their dignity, individual circumstances and capacity for change, rather than treating addiction only as devastation.
Directed by Ohio native Adam Meeks, the film follows foster brothers Cody, played by Poulter, and Noah Centineo’s character as they attempt to get clean. It combines scripted drama with contributions from local first-time actors who share their own recovery experiences, and depicts a programme involving long-term treatment and daily sobriety tests; Poulter says it has a success rate above 50%. Poulter was drawn to the project after seeing Meeks’s 2020 short film and praised its effort to work with, rather than simply portray, the local community.
- Poulter’s new film examines addiction without stigmatising those affected.
- Union County draws on a real Ohio recovery court.
- The drama blends fiction with lived recovery experiences.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters argue that addiction should be treated primarily as a health condition, and that stigma can deter people from seeking treatment, employment and reintegration after prison. Humanising portrayals can challenge the assumption that substance dependence reflects moral failure, while recognising that recovery often requires sustained support, accountability and access to care.
The case against
Critics may worry that efforts to reduce stigma can unintentionally understate the serious harm addiction can cause to families, communities and victims of related crime. They argue that compassionate representation should be paired with clear recognition of personal responsibility and the need for effective enforcement, boundaries and treatment, rather than implying that individual choices play no part.