This 2012 Global News investigation examines the OxyContin controversy in Canada through the experiences of patients, grieving families, researchers, and medical professionals. As prescriptions for the powerful pain medication increased, so did concerns about addiction, overdose, and the way its risks had been presented to doctors and patients. The report investigates Purdue Pharma's marketing of OxyContin, its influence within pain medicine, and allegations that the drug's potential for addiction was deliberately downplayed, while revealing the devastating consequences prescription opioid use had already left behind.

TOPICS: Canada, Grief & Loss, Opioid Crisis, Opioid Use Disorder, Opioids, Oxycodone, Personal Stories, Pharmaceuticals

This documentary traces New York City's opioid drug history from the late 1800s to the present day, exploring how changing attitudes toward opioids have shaped addiction, medical treatment, public policy, and criminalization over generations. Through historical accounts, expert interviews, and personal stories, journalist Christopher Booker examines the recurring patterns that have defined each wave of the opioid crisis, culminating in today's unprecedented fentanyl epidemic.

TOPICS: Fentanyl, Harm Reduction, Heroin, Medication-Assisted Treatment, Methadone, Morphine, Opioid Crisis, Opioid Use Disorder, Opioids, Oxycodone, Pharmaceuticals, Public Health, USA