Documentaries

A collection of documentaries for various topics related to addiction.

HookedRx: From Prescription to Addiction in Arizona

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.

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Hope After Heroin: The Epidemic in Our Backyard

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.

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The Opioid Crisis: An American Epidemic

Cover photo for Michael DeLeon - An American Epidemic

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…

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The Opioid Overdose Epidemic: Stephen’s Story

Cover photo for The Opioid Overdose Epidemic: Stephen’s Story

Stephen’s Story 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…

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

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

The use of opioids as pain relief has deep roots in New York City, dating back to the 1880s when doctors began prescribing morphine pills to housewives as an unregulated treatment. Journalist Christopher Booker explores New York’s opioid drug history…

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Fentanyl: The Drug Deadlier than Heroin (VICE)

Cover photo for Fentanyl: The Drug Deadlier than Heroin (VICE)

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…

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

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

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…

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