Castoff

This episode appears to be based on two separate cases/incidents:

• The Andrew Cunanan case.
• The debate of media portrayal of violence influencing criminal behavior.

One of the kids Briscoe and Curtis interviewed said he saw the victim buying codeine from a street dealer, mentioning kids often use it as a party/sex drug. It is theorized the victim was using codeine for the same reason. However, it makes no sense for codeine to be used to enhance a sexual experience. Codeine, like all opiates, actually dampens sexual desire in both men and women; opiates decrease both estrogen and testosterone levels, especially with long-term use. One of the most common side effects of opiates for both sexes is decreased sex drive and difficulty achieving orgasm. Opiates decreases testosterone more than estrogen, making it affect men the most by causing erectile dysfunction, low semen volume, low sperm count, and delayed ejaculation.