It's bi directional. Art is both a reflection of society and the shaper of it. Specifically easily accessible media.

If it's too outlandish it doesn't resonate with people, so it's bound by the outer limits of what society accepts. However that outer limit has a lot of play room and let's you shift the overton window in terms of influencing society.

It's a feedback loop.

At best it can help shape society to be better. Introduce and normalize ideas like interracial romance (Star trek) or expand people's minds (e.g the Tulsa riots in Watchmen were the first that many had heard of it)

At worst, it's propaganda, cementing us in our beliefs. Like the example of drugs used in the original post, but worse, normalizing authoritarianism.