This documentary examines the devastating impact of the opioid crisis on Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, where addiction, overdose, and limited treatment resources have placed enormous strain on a small community. Through the experiences of a dedicated harm reduction worker, people living with opioid use disorder, and a family desperately trying to save their son, it explores the realities of addiction while highlighting the importance of compassion, harm reduction, and community support in the face of an ongoing public health crisis.
TOPICS: Canada, Fentanyl, Harm Reduction, Opioid Crisis, Opioid Use Disorder, Opioids, Overdose, Personal Stories, Poverty, Stigma, Youth
This documentary explores Boston's Methadone Mile, an area where addiction treatment services exist alongside homelessness, open drug use, and illicit drug markets. Through interviews with healthcare professionals, people living with addiction, individuals in recovery, and street-level dealers, it examines the challenges of recovery in an environment where support and relapse triggers often coexist. The film also explores the policies and circumstances that contributed to the area's development and the ongoing efforts to address the crisis.
Inside one of Kabul's largest drug rehabilitation centres, A Second Shot offers a stark look at addiction in Afghanistan through the experiences of residents, families, volunteers, and staff. The documentary follows those living inside the centre as they endure severe withdrawal, homelessness, poverty, family breakdown, and limited access to medication and basic care. Set against Afghanistan's strained healthcare system and declining international aid, it explores the human consequences of addiction and the challenges of providing treatment with few resources.
This documentary investigates Afghanistan's booming opium trade and the complex challenges driving one of the world's largest illicit drug economies. Travelling from poppy fields to addiction hotspots, the film examines how poverty, conflict, corruption, and political instability have fueled both heroin production and widespread drug use. Through interviews with farmers, law enforcement officials, healthcare workers, and people affected by addiction, it explores the limitations of anti-drug efforts while highlighting the far-reaching consequences of the opium trade for Afghanistan and the international community.
TOPICS: Afghanistan, Drug Trafficking, Heroin, Homelessness, Law Enforcement, Poverty, Public Health
New Zealand’s war on drugs comes under scrutiny in this investigation of methamphetamine use, criminalization, and the search for more effective solutions. Journalist Guyon Espiner speaks with people directly affected by addiction alongside police, treatment providers, policymakers, and harm reduction advocates. Their experiences reveal the limitations of a system that devotes substantial resources to enforcement while leaving many people without adequate support. By examining treatment referrals, drug checking, poverty, stigma, and decriminalization, this resource presents a compelling case for replacing punishment with compassionate, evidence-based public health approaches.
This eye-opening documentary explores the devastating impact of Uganda's illicit moonshine industry, where cheap homemade alcohol fuels addiction, chronic poverty, and serious health consequences. By examining the production of waragi and the communities affected by its widespread use, it reveals how economic hardship, limited opportunities, and hazardous drinking practices have become deeply interconnected. Through firsthand accounts and on-the-ground reporting, this resource offers a powerful look at the complex social, economic, and public health challenges surrounding alcohol misuse in one of the world's hardest-hit regions.
TOPICS: Alcohol, Depressants, Homelessness, Poverty, Public Health, Uganda
This powerful documentary follows the daily life of a man experiencing homelessness and addiction on the streets of Toronto, revealing the realities that often go unseen. As Ray navigates fentanyl use, survival, and the constant risks of life on the street, his resilience, humanity, and hope remain at the heart of his story. Rather than relying on stereotypes or sensationalism, this resource offers a compassionate look at the complex relationship between addiction, homelessness, and the ongoing opioid crisis, encouraging greater understanding of the people behind the statistics.
TOPICS: Canada, Fentanyl, Heroin, Homelessness, Opioid Crisis, Opioid Use Disorder, Opioids, Overdose, Personal Stories, Poverty
