April 25, 2025

7 Days: The Opioid Crisis in Arkansas

Hear the stories of Arkansans who have suffered from addiction — as well as the continued fight in the state to address issues surrounding opioid use, misuse and addiction. The intimate documentary explores the reality of drug use in The Natural State and the harmful, long-term effects opioids have not just on those who become addicted to but about the impact they make on users’ family, friends and communities.
April 25, 2025

Poison Pill: San Diego’s Battle Against Fentanyl

NBC 7 decided to dig deeper, beyond the headlines and statistics, to understand how and why this fentanyl emergency has unfolded in San Diego County, as well as the impact the crisis is having in our communities and finally, what work needs to be done to fight what’s being called an epidemic. During our journey, we spoke with parents who’ve lost their kids, overdose survivors, academic and medical professionals, representatives of government agencies and activists. Their stories from the front lines of this battle are raw, honest and sometimes frightening. Through telling these stories, we hope San Diegans can better understand the magnitude of the fentanyl crisis and what we need to do together to protect our families from that next poison pill.
April 25, 2025

Injecting Hope: A Harm Reduction Program Tackling Drug Overdose

Injecting Hope is an on-the-ground, gritty exploration of the drug overdose crisis in North America and the role harm reduction efforts, like safe injection sites, could play in finding a solution. ABC7 News reporter Tara Campbell takes viewers onto the streets of Vancouver, Canada’s Downtown Eastside for an intimate look at how the first safe consumption site in North America, established more than two decades ago, is impacting drug users and the community at large.
April 25, 2025

The Story Behind: Fentanyl (3 Part Series)

This three-part series presented by RogersTV explores how the opioid and fentanyl crisis is affecting people in various cities in Ontario, Canada. The first video is largely focused on providing background information on what fentanyl is and how this dangerous drug has creeped into communities. One police officer talks about how “the misuse and abuse of fentanyl is a shared responsibility – it’s a public health situation that includes education, intervention, treatment, and enforcement.”
April 25, 2025

Crisis Next Door: The Fentanyl Epidemic in North Carolina

Crisis Next Door shows how fentanyl has destroyed the lives of thousands of North Carolinians, what the state is doing to fight this epidemic and what more is needed to save lives. North Carolina is in the grip of a drug overdose epidemic, with fentanyl being the primary culprit. More than 4,000 people in North Carolina died from drug overdoses in 2021, the most substance abuse related deaths ever recorded in the state. According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), 77% of those deaths involved fentanyl.”
April 25, 2025

True Stories of Addiction: Alcohol Was My Gateway to Illegal Drugs

Brady grew up in a family that was very disconnected. Everyone seemed to do their own thing every day. Both of his parents had an addiction to drugs, but his parents tried to hide it from him. After getting his girlfriend pregnant, he decided to get married to try to do the honorable thing. At 25, he started working at a liquor store and began drinking very heavily. While drinking at work one day, a man came through the drive-thru and had cocaine. Brady decided to try it and at 26 he developed a cocaine addiction within a very short period of time. He started using cocaine to wake him up and alcohol to help him when he needed to sleep.
April 25, 2025

How I Became an Addict – Interview with Ariel (Other Side)

Meet Ariel, a 30-year-old drug addict living on the streets in Miami. As she tells her story, you begin to realize that she has been failed by her family and government systems time and time again. Despite all her battles, Ariel remains positive and hopeful that recovery will be possible for her one day.
April 25, 2025

Addiction: The Science Behind (NOVA PBS)

This incredibly informative documentary from NOVA PBS discusses opioid addiction, highlighting that addiction is not a moral failing, but rather, a treatable chronic medical condition. It provides a general overview of the science behind addiction, detailing how dopamine, the reward pathway, and other brain regions change as a result of substance abuse, and how these changes result in drug-seeking behaviours and withdrawal. While there are several personal stories from those affected by addiction, the primary focus of this documentary is to provide education on the science behind addiction and the importance of evidence-based treatments.
April 25, 2025

Killer High: The Silent Crisis (Fentanyl)

This powerful documentary explores the impact that fentanyl is having on the United States, particularly on youth living in Fresno, California. You’ll learn about the opioid crisis through the eyes of the families impacted by it, the law enforcement officers who are desperately trying to get it off the streets, and the medical professionals who witness countless opioid-related overdoses and deaths. You’ll also hear from two mothers who want to pass a very powerful message along to other parents, and you’ll see the video footage of the moment they found their children unresponsive, overdosing in their rooms. This documentary serves as an eye opener to parents with the overall message that this is not “some other family’s problem” – it is impacting many of our children and it’s extremely important for parents to learn about addiction.