Stigma & Language
What words are often used to stigmatize people with addiction?
What chemical messenger in the brain is linked to reward and addiction?
Dopamine.
What powerful opioid painkiller was aggressively marketed in West Virginia?
OxyContin.
Name one medication that helps people manage opioid addiction by reducing cravings.
Methadone or Suboxone.
Which Canadian city opened North America’s first legal supervised injection site?
Vancouver
What did one ER doctor say to a family after realizing a teen was addicted?
“Your daughter’s addicted. We never want to see her here again.”
Drugs can cause dopamine levels to rise how many times higher than normal?
Up to ten times higher.
Fentanyl is up to how many times stronger than heroin?
50 times stronger.
What percentage of people relapse in abstinence-only treatment programs for opioids?
80–90%.
What did drug companies flood West Virginia with, fueling the crisis?
780 million highly addictive pain pills.
Why does person-first language matter in reducing stigma?
It emphasizes the person before the condition (e.g., “person who uses substances” instead of “addict”).
What brain region, important for decision-making, shows reduced gray matter in people with addiction?
The prefrontal cortex.
What drug can reverse an opioid overdose if given quickly?
Naloxone (Narcan).
What type of therapy focuses on coping strategies, mindfulness, and retraining the brain?
Psychosocial interventions.
Every dollar spent on harm reduction saves how many dollars in medical costs?
Up to $7.
Addiction is often viewed as a moral failing. What does science say it actually is?
A brain disease that changes reward and motivation systems
Addiction changes the brain’s DNA activity. What key chemical messenger is disrupted by heroin?
Glutamate
How many Americans died of an overdose in a single year, according to the documentary?
More than 70,000.
What is the main advantage of medication-assisted treatment like Suboxone?
It reduces cravings, cuts mortality by half, and allows people to stabilize their lives.
According to the film, what is America’s number one domestic issue today?
Addiction.