Opioid Use Disorder

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

The Road to Recovery: 6 Personal Stories

Opioid Crisis, Opioid Use Disorder, Overdose, Personal Stories, Recovery, Relapse

This compelling documentary features six people who detail their poignant journey from addiction to recovery, including discussions of relapse. They discuss their childhood trauma and it is evident that these distressing experiences propelled their addictions. The emotional pain, too much to bare, led to their substance abuse because, as they describe, being intoxicated was a relief, a break, from their lives. They all hit their own personal rock bottoms and each found recovery through various treatment options.

Addiction, Documentaries

Overdose Crisis on the US-Canada Border: Steel Town Down

Canada, Harm Reduction, Opioid Crisis, Opioid Use Disorder, Overdose, Personal Stories, Youth

In 2017, tens of thousands lost their lives to opioid overdoses across the US and Canada, surpassing the peak death toll of the AIDS epidemic. In Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, the burden of this crisis rests on a few individuals working tirelessly to keep their community safe, mirroring the struggles in countless North American towns. Steel Town Down offers an intimate look at the town's lone harm reduction worker and a family's desperate efforts to save their son from becoming another victim of the epidemic.

Addiction, Documentaries, Documentaries, Mental Health

Methadone Mile: Inside Boston’s Drug Epidemic

Harm Reduction, Homelessness, Medication-Assisted Treatment, Methadone, Opioid Crisis, Opioid Use Disorder, Personal Stories, Poverty, Public Health, Recovery, Sublocade, Suboxone, USA, Vivitrol

This video uncovers the complex reality behind Methadone Mile, speaking with everyone from Harvard doctors and crack dealers to addicts fighting for survival and those who have overcome addiction to help others. As they dig deeper, they explore how this notorious area came to be, uncovering how a single failed infrastructure project may have played a pivotal role in the hundreds now living on the streets of Boston. This episode is sponsored by Better Help.

Addiction, Documentaries

Flood: The Overdose Epidemic in Canada

Canada, Harm Reduction, Medication-Assisted Treatment, Nalaxone, Non-Profits, Opioid Crisis, Opioid Use Disorder, Overdose, Personal Stories, Public Health, Stigma

This documentary travels across Canada to discuss the magnitude of the opioid crisis / overdose epidemic and the importance of harm reduction initiatives across communities. You’ll learn about what harm reduction entails and why it is essential to combating this crisis because “since 2016, more than 12,800 Canadians lost their lives due to fatal overdoses.”

Addiction, Documentaries

Afghanistan: The Billion Dollar Drug War

Afghanistan, Drug Trafficking, Homelessness, Law Enforcement, Opioid Crisis, Opioid Use Disorder, Poverty, Public Health

Drug use in Afghanistan is at an all-time high. With NATO forces withdrawing and local law enforcement authorities having little to no funding, the poppy fields are thriving. In this documentary, 101 East investigates how Afghan authorities are fighting to regulate the return of poppy farming, the ramifications of the global war on drugs, and what the future holds for this vulnerable nation. Fortunately, there is one woman in Kabul who works endlessly to help addicts.

Addiction, Documentaries

His Name Is Ray

Canada, Fentanyl, Homelessness, Opioid Crisis, Opioid Use Disorder, Overdose, Personal Stories, Poverty

Director Michael Del Monte, following his Hot Docs Audience Award winner Transformer, presents a moving character study in His Name Is Ray. The film was inspired by a moment when Del Monte realized how easily he—and many others—ignored Ray during…