State of Addiction: What Every Family Needs to Know About Opioids

State of Addiction explores the ongoing opioid crisis and the devastating effect it has had on individuals, families, and communities. Through perspectives from medical professionals, law enforcement, parents, and recovery advocates, the documentary examines how prescription opioids contributed to the crisis, why fentanyl has made today's drug supply even more dangerous, and what families can do to help prevent substance use among youth through communication, trust, and education.¹

One Pill Can Kill Campaign:

"I know probably a thousand moms and dads across the country who’ve had to bury their children."

"Kyle had surgery and that was the introduction to the opioids for the pain … the thing that we noticed about Kyle was that, if I get an opioid, I hate it, but he was euphoric from the first pill."

"It starts early when kids are young. You have to establish a foundation of trust, of love, of open communication, and so I think if you can lay down that foundation it makes it easier to have these conversations later on."

"You've got teenagers who are not quite adults, they're struggling to find their own identity [and] self-concept, they want to feel competent in the world. The best thing that we can do is try to give them that self-esteem so when they're in a situation, in a group like that, they can actually push back and have the strength to do that. Their approval of themselves is worth more to them than the approval of other people."⁴

"Now that I don't have this substance in my body to mask the trauma, to mask the depression, to mask the anxiety, and to mask the shame and guilt that I felt, that was the biggest challenge I faced."⁵

¹ Fentanyl has made today's illicit drug supply significantly more dangerous because it is often mixed into other substances — including heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and counterfeit pills — sometimes without the user's knowledge. Due to its extreme potency, even small amounts can be lethal, and DEA testing has found that many counterfeit pills contain potentially fatal doses of fentanyl.
² Opioid withdrawal reinforces addiction through a process of negative reinforcement, where severe physical and psychological distress drives repeated drug use in order to relieve symptoms. Over time, the motivation often shifts from seeking euphoria to avoiding the intense discomfort associated with withdrawal.
³ Research examining media coverage of the opioid epidemic has identified significant racial disparities in how addiction is portrayed, with the crisis often framed as affecting white suburban or rural communities despite rising overdose deaths among Black, Indigenous, and other minority populations. Studies have also found that this framing influenced public perception and policy responses, contributing to more treatment-focused approaches for white communities while communities of color were more often associated with criminalization and punitive responses.
⁴ Protective factors for youth substance use prevention include strong family bonds, school engagement, positive peer relationships, self-esteem, and emotional resilience. Research shows that strengthening these factors during adolescence can reduce the likelihood of substance use and improve a young person's ability to resist social pressure and risky behaviors.
⁵ The National Child Traumatic Stress Network notes that trauma, PTSD, and adolescent substance use are strongly linked. Research cited in the report found that substance use often developed following trauma exposure or PTSD onset, while adolescents with substance use disorders were also more likely to experience trauma related to risky behaviors and develop PTSD following traumatic events.