This Master’s thesis explores the use of opioid analgesics (OPAs) as a complex social phenomenon that transcends medical frameworks and reflects broader societal, cultural, and political dynamics. The central research question focused on identifying the non-medical factors contributing to the increasing use of OPAs and interpreting them through sociological theories. The thesis applies theoretical approaches by Thomas Szasz (medicalization), Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett (social inequality), Daniel Read (temporal preferences), as well as conceptual perspectives by Foucault, Illich, Fukuyama, and Huxley. These perspectives were applied to the analysis of selected empirical data. The empirical part of the thesis is based on a comparative quantitative analysis of OECD and ESS data for 2018, combined with an analysis of global trends and the specific case of the United States. Correlations between OPA use and sociological indicators (GINI coefficient, saving behavior, and personal autonomy) were examined using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The results indicate no statistically significant correlation between income inequality and OPA use, while cultural preferences showed a moderate positive association. Slovenia ranks high in OPA consumption, which reflects the influence of medicalization, healthcare accessibility, and cultural tolerance of pharmacological solutions. The findings confirm that the use of OPAs is not merely a medical response, but the outcome of a complex interplay of cultural, sociological, psychological, economic, and institutional factors. The research underscores the need for a holistic approach to health policy design and calls for further studies using larger samples and qualitative methods.
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