Canada

A collection of resources discussing addiction, mental health, and social justice and civil rights in Canada.

Addiction, Documentaries

Crystal Meth: A Global Pandemic (Addicted: The Synthetic Curse)

Afghanistan, Australia, Canada, Crime, Drug Trafficking, Law Enforcement, Methamphetamine, Myanmar, Pakistan, Prevention & Treatment, Public Health, Recovery, Stimulant Use Disorder, Stimulants, Thailand

CNA traverses the front lines of various countries to investigate the world of illicit substances in Addicted. This three-part documentary series offers a rare, unfiltered look at the global production, trafficking and consumption of traditional and synthetic drugs. In this first episode, Curse Of Crystal Meth: Addiction, Trafficking & Dangerous Production Exposed, they explore the far-reaching impact of this synthetic curse. From Pakistan, to Thailand, to Canada, to Australia: methamphetamine, or ice, is ruining communities.

News / TV Specials, Addiction

Cocaine in Canada: From Colombia to A First Nations Community

Canada, Cocaine, Colombia, Drug Trafficking, Indigenous Communities, Law Enforcement, Public Health, Stimulants

Amid the ongoing fentanyl crisis, the global cocaine trade is surging, flooding even the most remote parts of Canada with high-purity cocaine. In this CBC investigation, follow the drug’s journey from a ship off Colombia’s coast to the Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation in Labrador.

News / TV Specials, Addiction

Gambling on Addiction: How Governments Rely on Problem Gamblers

Behavioural Addictions, Canada, Gambling Disorder, Science & Research

When it comes to gambling, Canadians are heavily invested. Last year alone, they spent roughly $13 billion on legal, government-operated gambling—more than what they collectively shelled out for movies, hockey games, and Tim Hortons combined. It’s no secret that provincial governments depend on gambling revenue. But what often gets overlooked is just how much of that money comes from problem gamblers. Experts estimate that up to 50% of gambling profits are fueled by those struggling with addiction. Although they publicly promote “responsible gambling,” this investigation by The Fifth Estate exposes how these programs are falling short—allowing addicted problem gamblers to keep coming back, while the government cashes in on their losses.

Addiction, Documentaries

Prescription for Addiction (2014) CAMH Documentary

Canada, Frontline Workers, Harm Reduction, Indigenous Communities, Medication-Assisted Treatment, Methadone, Opioid Crisis, Opioid Use Disorder, Personal Stories, Pharmaceuticals, Prevention & Treatment, Public Health

The rising addiction to prescription opioids has become a widespread crisis, affecting people across all social and economic backgrounds. Whether it starts with legitimate pain treatment or the misuse of illegally obtained medications, the consequences are deeply harmful to individuals, families, and entire communities. This raises critical questions: What are the consequences of making such powerful and addictive drugs easily accessible? How can we ensure people in pain receive the care they need while minimizing the risk of addiction? And how should we support those whose lives have been deeply affected by opioid misuse?

News / TV Specials, Addiction

Oxycontin Controversy: Dying By Prescription

Canada, Opioid Crisis, Opioid Use Disorder, Oxycodone, Personal Stories, Pharmaceuticals

This 2012 special report from Global News investigates "Canada's biggest pharmaceutical coverup" - the overprescribing of medications containing Oxycodone (e.g., Percocet, Oxycontin, Hydromorphone). Trusting their doctors, many Canadians were given these drugs as an alternative to morphine to help with pain management and were told that it is "far less addictive". However, addiction soon set in and their tolerance began to increase, leading them to need more to have the same effect.

News / TV Specials, Addiction, Mental Health, News / TV Special

Growing Up Munsch: Robert Munsch’s Books, Drugs and Recovery

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), Bipolar Disorder, Canada, Celebrities, Cocaine, Personal Stories, Recovery, Relapse, Twelve-Step Programs

Robert Munsch is a Canadian bestselling children's author who published nearly 50 books, including the well-known story The Paper Bag Princess and Love You Forever. He's a well-known name in Canadian households, selling more than 40 million copies of his books. In this 2010 interview with Global News, Robert Munsch opens up about his struggles with addiction and mental health, discussing how his problems began in childhood, his past studying as a priest, his marriage and children, as well as how several life experiences led him to develop a problem with alcohol and cocaine. He also speaks about the personal background behind several of his books.

Addiction, Documentaries

Through a Blue Lens: Vancouver Police & Their Relationship With Addicts

Canada, Cocaine, Frontline Workers, Heroin, Law Enforcement, Overdose, Personal Stories, Public Health, Recovery, Youth

This 1999 documentary presented by The National Film Board of Canada follows a group of police officers who work in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside and their unique relationship with the drug addicts living on the streets. The officers themselves document the lives of several addicts who have agreed to participate in this initiative to show the realities of drug use to youth.

Addiction, Documentaries

Injecting Hope: Tackling Drug Overdose With Harm Reduction

Canada, Frontline Workers, Harm Reduction, Medication-Assisted Treatment, Methadone, Nalaxone, Non-Profits, Opioid Crisis, Opioid Use Disorder, Personal Stories, Public Health, Recovery, Stigma, Sublocade

Injecting Hope offers an unflinching, ground-level examination of the drug overdose crisis in North America and explores the potential role of harm reduction initiatives, such as safe injection sites, in addressing the epidemic. ABC7 News reporter Tara Campbell takes viewers to the streets of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside for an intimate look at the effects of North America’s first sanctioned safe consumption site, established more than two decades ago, on both individuals struggling with addiction and the broader community.

Addiction, Documentaries

The Story Behind: Fentanyl (3 Part Series)

Canada, Fentanyl, Harm Reduction, Opioid Crisis, Opioid Use Disorder, Overdose, Personal Stories, Public Health

This three-part series, presented by RogersTV, delves into the opioid and fentanyl crisis and its widespread impact on communities across Ontario, Canada. The first video provides essential background, explaining what fentanyl is and how it has insidiously infiltrated neighborhoods. A local police officer emphasizes that “the misuse and abuse of fentanyl is a shared responsibility — it’s a public health issue that involves education, intervention, treatment, and enforcement.”

News / TV Specials, Addiction

Inside Canada’s Fentanyl Overdose Epidemic

Canada, Evidence-Based, Fentanyl, Harm Reduction, Lost Loved Ones, Non-Profits, Opioid Crisis, Opioid Use Disorder, Overdose, Prevention & Treatment, Public Health

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.