April 24, 2025

Inside Canada’s Fentanyl Overdose Epidemic

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.
April 24, 2025

Bryan’s HOPE: The Heroin Epidemic – Prevention & Education

Bryan’s HOPE was founded by Jeannie Richards after she lost her son, Bryan, to a heroin overdose. Richards was hopeful that she could raise enough awareness and money to begin purchasing naloxone kits to hand out to local addicts and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office. “Bryan, I’d like to think, was just like any other boy growing up, active, happy, healthy,” she says. “It wasn’t until he starting taking prescription Vicodin that he morphed into somebody that I didn’t know” (source). Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and passed away a year later in 2019. As a result, it appears that Bryan’s Hope is no longer active. However, the messages in this documentary still stand. You’ll hear from Richards herself as well as other parents and family members who have lost loved ones to heroin and other opioids. You’ll also listen to the stories of recovering addicts who have made it out of addiction, and professionals who work in this field. It’s an hour of simply listening – there’s nothing flashy about this documentary, it’s a straight shooter, so to speak. Everyone has something unique to offer, their own personal insight into the opioid crisis, the addictive strength of prescription medications, and the easy move from pills to heroin.
April 24, 2025

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.
April 24, 2025

Hope After Heroin: The Epidemic in Our Backyard

This WQED documentary explores the opioid crisis & heroin use in Western Pennsylvania. People who have experienced addiction, either themselves or through a loved one, share their stories of struggle, stigma and loss. But they also show how they’ve managed to use their pain as a catalyst for change, providing hope for others. Heroin has a hold on this country, and Western Pennsylvania hasn’t escaped its grip. There isn’t a community, a town, a county in our region that doesn’t have a major heroin problem today. It’s cross-generational, it crosses ethnic lines. The problem is so pervasive that people are literally overdosing on the street. Stigma keeps people from talking about it. But now, people are stepping out of the shadows. Sharing their stories, inspiring others. Recovery is something that anyone can do at any point.
April 24, 2025

Kids Are Dying: Addiction in 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.
April 24, 2025

The Opioid Crisis: 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 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.
April 24, 2025

The Opioid Epidemic: Stephen’s Story

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.
April 23, 2025

Pieces of a Dream: A Story of Gambling

When Phillip Wong died by suicide, his family believed that staying silent might ease their pain. But his sister, filmmaker Michelle Wong, felt compelled to understand what had led him to end his life at just 36 years old. Through intimate conversations with those who knew Phillip best and her own honest reflections, Michelle embarks on a deeply personal journey. As she gently unravels layers of silence, she uncovers Phillip’s hidden struggle with gambling disorder and his descent into isolation, desperation, and depression. Set against the contrasting backdrops of Las Vegas’s bustling casinos and the quiet streets of St. Paul, Alberta, the documentary lays bare the raw grief of those left behind. As feelings of guilt, sorrow, and shame surface, a once-fragmented family slowly begins to rebuild a sense of closeness. This powerful and heart-wrenching film captures one sister’s relentless search for truth and healing—for herself, her family, and others impacted by addiction.