This chapter explores the theoretical foundation of framing and its profound impact on how addiction is represented and understood by the public. Drawing on foundational works by Entman, Gitlin, Scheufele, and Cohen, the chapter outlines the mechanisms through which media frames shape narratives—particularly in the context of drug epidemics. It identifies three dominant frames in media coverage of addiction: the criminal frameCriminal frame, the victim frameVictim frame, and the public health framePublic health frame. Through historical and contemporary examples, including heroin coverage in the 1970s and opioid narratives in the 2010s, the chapter demonstrates how racial and geographic biases in media framing lead to vastly different public attitudes and policy outcomes. Media portrayals of Black and Latino drug users have historically centered on crime and deviance, reinforcing punitive responses, while portrayals of White opioid users often highlight victimhood and medical vulnerability, eliciting public sympathy and health-based interventions. The chapter closes by positioning framing theoryFraming theory as a critical lens for analyzing not just media content but also its real-world policy and social implications.