A collection of news specials and TV specials for various topics related to addiction.
In this brief news report, frontline workers discuss their personal and professional experiences with addiction and what it has been like to respond to an overdose during the opioid crisis. They talk about their loved one’s addiction and how this impacted their ability to help others. However, they also talk about the importance of recognizing compassion fatigue.
This news report will share stories of individuals overwhelmed by addiction, shedding light on the deep grief families are enduring. It will also examine local efforts by doctors and law enforcement to address the opioid crisis, as well as the resources available at both the local and national levels. Viewers will learn about the support systems in place, how they can contribute to the fight, and the critical needs of the community in tackling this ongoing crisis.
Fentanyl remains a leading cause of overdose deaths in Virginia. According to the Virginia Department of Health, the synthetic opioid was responsible for 76.5% of the 2,656 overdose fatalities in 2021. The community of those who have lost loved ones to fentanyl continues to expand, with many grieving families seeking to raise awareness about a crisis they feel is not receiving the attention it urgently deserves.
SBS Dateline (Australia) wants to know what they can learn from the Canadian opioid crisis and the fatality of fentanyl, and use it as a warning for Australians. This news investigation discusses (1) why fentanyl kills so many young Canadians, (2) how it first came to Canada, (3) the importance of harm reduction services like supervised consumption sites, and (4) programs and support services in place to help people in several different ways.
This news special by NBC 6 South Florida discusses the opioid crisis with several individuals, including Mark Wahlberg’s brother Jim Wahlberg. You’ll be introduced to a brief history of opium and quickly realize that this addiction crisis began with easily accessible prescription medications. Drugs are now cut with fentanyl, which is extremely dangerous and lethal. People are losing their lives and law enforcement can’t seem to keep up with the massive influx of drugs coming into the country. You’ll also learn some strategies for talking to children about drugs, which is crucial to do given the sheer impact that opioids are having on youth.
This news investigation by Click Orlando covers the opioid crisis and “explores the lives of those faced with addiction.” They talk with several recovering addicts who provide a grim and honest look into the realities of opioid addiction, and analyze fentanyl specifically and its extreme potency and profitability. There’s also a very emotional part about babies born with an Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) and the impact addiction has on children. Additionally, the importance of Narcan is highlighted as a relatively cheap way to save lives, but not everyone in society agrees. You’ll also learn about a controlled environment that uses virtual reality to help addicts recover – an addition to traditional therapeutic treatments – and other ways of practicing recovery principles.
British people take more MDMA per session than anywhere else, averaging 420 milligrams—twice as much as Germans. While ecstasy remains one of the safest drugs, ecstasy-related deaths hit a decade-high last year, bringing it back into the spotlight. Some blame drug dealers for selling dangerously strong, adulterated pills, while others criticize the government for failing to curb the supply and adopt effective harm reduction strategies. It’s also possible that British drug users need reminding that a great night out isn’t measured by how much of your tongue remains. In this episode of High Society, they explore why ecstasy is becoming more dangerous and how its risks can be minimized.
Anthropologist Natasha Dow Schüll, the author of Addiction by Design: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas, spent 15 years studying how casinos and slot machines are designed to pull users into a trancelike state called the “machine zone” where social demands, worries, and bodily awareness fades away. While in this zone, gamblers are not just playing to win, but rather, to play for as long as possible, regardless of the physical, mental and financial costs. While the gambler loses themselves, the gambling industry profits. She extends this research into digital / smartphone gambling as well.
Ketamine has emerged as a defining drug for a generation of young Brits. A report from November 2020 revealed that 1-in-30 young people had used ketamine in the past year — the highest rate ever recorded and significantly higher than in other European countries. Current data ranks ketamine as the fourth most commonly used drug among young people, following cannabis, ecstasy, and cocaine.
In 2021, over 100,000 Americans died from drug overdoses, making it the deadliest year on record. The latest phase of the overdose crisis is being fueled by synthetic substances, often combined with fentanyl to create street drugs that are even more potent and addictive. Beyond Fentanyl explores this unsettling landscape by examining the spread of benzo dope and tranq, their devastating effects on North American communities, and how U.S. drug policy has contributed to this surge in synthetic street drugs.