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Are you interested in bringing a screening of Addiction to your community?

NOVA will provide your school or organization with a free DVD of Addiction and a screening guide to help plan your event every step of the way, from advertising to execution.

If you are interested in screening the film at your school or organization, please sign up below.

Looking for a screening near you? We will be updating this site with the dates and locations for confirmed screenings around the country.

Upcoming Community Screenings

Thursday, March 21, 2019

5:30 - 7:00 p.m. | University of New England, Portland, ME | 716 Stevens Ave, Portland, ME 01403

Join us for a community screening and discussion of the PBS/NOVA film "Addiction" at the WCHP Lecture Hall / Parker Pavilion, University of New England, Portland Campus. This event is free and open to the public.

About NOVA's "Addiction"

America is in the midst of the deadliest drug epidemic in US history. It’s estimated that in 2017 alone, more than 70,000 Americans died from drug overdoses, driven by a dramatic rise in the abuse of opioids like OxyContin, heroin, and fentanyl. It’s a slow-motion disaster that is destroying whole communities, with no end in sight. As our nation looks for answers, take an unflinching look at the epidemic through the eyes of those living through it. Along the way, join doctors, psychologists, and neuroscientists as they investigate how drugs of abuse alter the brain and drive behavior. Researchers are narrowing in on how we can effectively address our drug problem, from the development of evidence-based treatments and new medications, to the rethinking of public policies. With vivid case studies and insights into the latest scientific breakthroughs, unravel the complex and tragic puzzle of how addiction works, and how it can best be treated.

NOVA Digital and Education Resources

Interactive Story- Restoring Hope: Fighting the Opioid Crisis in Buffalo

NOVA

The Science of Opioid Addiction and Treatment

3:08

Published:

How opioids mimic the body's natural pain relievers and sometimes induce euphoria.

NOVA

Former Opioid User Discusses Withdrawal and Recovery

2:30

Published:

Ben Francis became addicted to opioid painkillers in high school after a soccer injury.

Classroom Resources

Videos

NOVA

How a Teenager's Opioid Prescription Led to Dependence

3:57

Published:

Severe muscle cramps landed this teen in the hospital, where she was prescribed opioids.

NOVA

Canada’s Bold Steps to Reduce Opioid Overdoses

6:03

Published:

Vancouver, Canada’s supervised injection sites offer people a safer place to use.

NOVA

Helping Children Born Dependent on Opioids

3:44

Published:

A therapy program enables children born with neonatal abstinence syndrome to build skills.

NOVA

Why Addiction Stigma Stops Patients from Seeking Treatment

1:57

Published:

Over 20 million Americans struggle with addiction—and social stigma is partially to blame.

Articles

Photo Gallery

Stills from NOVA: Addiction

Courtesy of WGBH Educational Foundation

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Dr. Rahul Gupta, West Virginia's State Health Commissioner, travels with a volunteer medical team to bring free health care to McDowell County.

Courtesy of WGBH Educational Foundation

2 / 9

Today, many street drugs are mixed with illegal fentanyl-- a powerful synthetic opioid. It's so potent that an amount equal to two grains of salt is lethal.

Courtesy of WGBH Educational Foundation

3 / 9

With doctors readily prescribing opioids, some patients have received up to 1,600 pills in a single month to deal with their pain.

Courtesy of WGBH

4 / 9

Brothers Mark and Jasen Edwards of Sophia, West Virginia previously struggled with opioid use.

Courtesy of WGBH Educational Foundation

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Opioids are still being studied, but scans reveal that dopamine receptors reduced by other addictive drugs can come back with recovery.

Courtesy of WGBH Educational Foundation

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At the Overdose Prevention Society in Vancouver, CA, professionals help people test their drugs for fentanyl and other dangerous chemicals.

Courtesy of WGBH Educational Foundation

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Supervised injection sites, like this one in Vancouver, CA, are illegal in the US, but in Canada, the controversy is waning.

Courtesy of WGBH Educational Foundation

8 / 9

Prolonged opioid use can alter the brain, and lead to addiction, manifested by cravings and compulsive drug use, despite negative consequences.

Credit

9 / 9

Methadone binds to opioid receptors to normalize dopamine levels and reduce cravings.

Marjie and

Robert Kargman

Additional funding provided by Marjie and Robert Kargman, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, and The Lynch Foundation.

National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by Draper. Major funding for NOVA is provided by the David H. Koch Fund for Science, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.