The opioid epidemic or opioid crisis is the rapid increase in the use of prescription and non-prescription opioid drugs in the United States and Canada in the 2010s. Opioids are a diverse class of moderately strong painkillers, including oxycodone (commonly sold under the trade names OxyContin and Percocet), hydrocodone (Vicodin), and a very strong painkiller, fentanyl, which is synthesized to resemble other opiates such as opium-derived morphine and heroin. The potency and availability of these substances, despite their high risk of addiction and overdose, have made them popular both as formal medical treatments and as recreational drugs. Due to their sedative effects on the part of the brain which regulates breathing, opioids in high doses present the potential for respiratory depression, and may cause respiratory failure and death
During the series “Dark States”, the acclaimed documentary maker Louis Theroux lifts the lid on the unseen criminal and social issues blighting America.
In the first full episode, Heroin Town, he visits Huntington, West Virginia, embedding himself with a community devastated by widespread opiate use.One in ten babies in the city are born dependent on drugs, and the fatal overdose rate there is 13 times the national average.
Louis also follows the emergency services struggling against the tide of health and crime issues caused by the heroin epidemic.
If you or someone you love is addicted to heroin, you’re not alone, and there is help available. Call 1-877-923-9204
Source:
Sun Magazine | Oct. 2017
Documentary Film Maker, Director |Louis Theroux