Documentaries

A collection of documentaries for various topics related to addiction.

This documentary covers the opioid crisis in Arizona. You’ll hear from frontline workers, policymakers, and counsellors, as well as parents who have lost a child and those who made it to recovery. This video focuses on the route that people take to becoming addicted, starting from being prescribed a prescription medication to suffering from a full-blown addiction. It also discusses the ease at which people are able to obtain the pills, as well as some stories about medical professionals who abused their prescribing powers.

Addiction, Documentaries

Hope After Heroin: The Epidemic in Our Backyard

Heroin, Lost Loved Ones, Non-Profits, Opioid Crisis, Opioid Use Disorder, Personal Stories, Stigma, USA

This WQED documentary delves into the opioid crisis and the widespread impact of heroin use in Western Pennsylvania. Individuals who have faced addiction—either personally or through someone they love—open up about their experiences of hardship, stigma, and loss. Yet, through their stories, they also reveal how their pain became a driving force for change, offering hope and inspiration to others.

Addiction, Documentaries

Kids Are Dying: Addiction in Youth

Heroin, Lost Loved Ones, Non-Profits, Opioid Crisis, Opioid Use Disorder, Overdose, Personal Stories, Pharmaceuticals, USA, Youth

This documentary is a must-see for anyone wanting to learn more about addiction and youth drug use and how the overdose epidemic / opioid crisis is affecting children and young adults. You can also watch Michael’s second documentary – An American Epidemic – where he details how this problem is not only happening locally in Camden, but also nationally.

Addiction, Documentaries

The Opioid Crisis: An American Epidemic

Celebrities, Lost Loved Ones, Non-Profits, Opioid Crisis, Opioid Use Disorder, Overdose, Personal Stories, Pharmaceuticals, Recovery, USA, Youth

After making his first documentary – Kids are Dying – Michael DeLeon, who runs Steered Straight, travelled throughout the U.S. to nearly 40 states to talk to people about the opioid crisis. He speaks with parents who have lost a child, professionals in the field, addicts in recovery, as well as celebrities to create this eye-opening film. It seems that everyone shares one common belief: the opioid crisis is an epidemic that has gone on for far too long.

Addiction, Documentaries

The Opioid Epidemic: Stephen’s Story

Dual Diagnosis, Family History, Lost Loved Ones, Non-Profits, Opioid Crisis, Opioid Use Disorder, Overdose, Personal Stories, USA

This documentary was created by the family members of Stephen, who overdosed on July 9th, 2018. After experiencing a traumatic event, Stephen began to struggle immensely with substance abuse, particularily with heroin, an opioid, and ultimately lost his life. His family discusses not only Stephen’s battle with mental health and addiction, but also the family’s history as well. From the impact of trauma, dual diagnosis / comorbidity, to family history, you’ll get to hear from Stephen’s family members on the impact he had on their lives and how an opioid overdose had fatal consequences.

Addiction, Documentaries

New York City’s Opioid Drug History: A Relentless Cycle

Fentanyl, Harm Reduction, Heroin, Medication-Assisted Treatment, Methadone, Morphine, Opioid Crisis, Opioid Use Disorder, Oxycodone, Pharmaceuticals, Public Health, USA

Using an opioid for a pain relief drug has a long history in New York City, where they were introduced as unregulated medicine: doctors began prescribing morphine pills to housewives in the 1880s. Journalist Christopher Booker uncovers New York’s history with opioids – from plant-based morphine, opium and heroin to lab-produced drugs like fentanyl – in a half-hour film about drug addiction, medical treatment, and drug criminalization over the course of decades. [Taken from YT description]

Addiction, Documentaries

The Opioid Crisis – It Impacts Us All

Fentanyl, Heroin, Opioid Crisis, Opioid Use Disorder, Overdose, Personal Stories, Pharmaceuticals, Public Health, Stigma, USA

The opioid crisis — ranging from prescription painkillers to heroin and fentanyl — claims a life every 11 minutes in the United States, with at least five deaths each day in Florida alone. The likelihood of dying from an accidental opioid overdose has now surpassed that of dying in a car crash.. This is the story of one community determined to challenge these devastating statistics and fight back against an opioid epidemic tearing lives apart. Told through the voices of victims, front-line heroes, and dedicated community partners, it’s a powerful tale of pain, loss, and hope in Orange County, Florida.

Addiction, Documentaries

Fentanyl: The Drug Deadlier than Heroin (VICE)

Canada, Fentanyl, Medication-Assisted Treatment, Opioid Crisis, Opioid Use Disorder, Overdose, Personal Stories, Suboxone, Youth

In 2015, nearly 300 people in Alberta lost their lives to fentanyl, with many of these fatalities linked to counterfeit, non-pharmaceutical pills. VICE offers an intimate and immersive feature film that delves into the fentanyl crisis in Canada, told through the lens of a community of drug users.

Addiction, Documentaries

Kensington: Inside America’s Largest Open-Air Drug Market

Decriminalization, Non-Profits, Open-Air Drug Markets, Prevention & Treatment, Public Health, USA, Youth

Peter Santello creates “videos about a world the media fails to capture” (source). In this video, he travels to Kensington, Philadelphia to speak with a local man named Buddy Osborn, who reached out to him to tell him about “the horrific realities of open-air drug markets.” Buddy and his organization, The Rock, help “to get kids out of crime and drugs and into a healthier environment built upon confidence and clarity.”

Addiction, Documentaries

A Second Shot: Drug Addiction in Afghanistan

Afghanistan, Homelessness, Poverty, Prevention & Treatment

Afghanistan has one of the highest drug addiction rates in the world, with the Taliban estimating that around four million people are affected nationwide. Babrak, a former mujahideen fighter, was once part of this struggle. Now, he’s dedicated to helping others detox at one of the capital’s underfunded drug rehabilitation centers. Since the Taliban regained power in 2021, international aid has been withdrawn, and public services are on the brink of collapse. Despite these challenges, Babrak and a small team of medical staff continue to offer hope as the Taliban's harsh anti-drug policies are enforced.