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Documentaries about Drugs

Must Watch: 15 Best Documentaries about Drugs & Addiction

Explore the best documentaries about Drugs, Drug Addiction, Drug Trafficking and Recovery

Intro: Documentaries about Drugs

We’re living in a time of addiction. From opioids to cocaine to marijuana, drugs have become more prevalent as the opioid epidemic has exploded. There is now a new drug on the market that can cause death within minutes, and it’s called fentanyl. The growing painkiller addiction has led to an increase in overdose deaths and fatalities among those who would use these drugs for recreational purposes. Our society is finally waking up to what’s really going on here, but there are still some people who believe that it will all blow over soon enough after being told by addicts that they need help. One way you can educate yourself about this is by watching documentaries about drugs, so you can gain an understanding of how life-changing these substances are and why people fall victim to them.

1. The Stoned Ages - Documentaries about Drugs

From the early cave dwellers who first stumbled upon psychedelic mushrooms to the over 6000-year-old tradition of opium cultivation in the East, drugs have played an important role in our lives from well before recorded history. We've used drugs for healing and connecting with a higher power, just like all other traditional means of using them. Like anything else, we use them recreationally or as performance enhancers; they can even prolong your life! But overall - do they help us more or hurt us?

2. The King of Cannabis - Marijuana Cannabis Documentary

Watch this documentary on weed - it is widely regarded as "harmful" and illegal, but there are some health benefits to marijuana.
Watch this amazing cannabis documentary. Weed is widely regarded as harmful. Therefore it is illegal in most countries. Still, using marijuana has some health benefits, as you can see in the following film that highlights these potential risks and rewards of its use.

3. Opioid Tragedy: Inside the Fentanyl Crisis - Documentaries on Drugs

With the world fighting a deadly pandemic and another heartbreaking public health crisis raging in North America, fentanyl is killing more people than gun crime, homicide and car accidents. 100 times stronger than heroin - it's cheap, potent and small enough to send through the mail. It's also replacing heroin supply with unprecedented levels of destruction and misery. And like all epidemics it has spread fast as users are now turning up dead because they think they're getting cocaine or cannabis when actually they've been given fentanyl-which has caused fatal results for many users across Canada who have used party drugs such as cocaine or marijuana to consume the drug instead of pills.

The world should expect more of the same if North America doesn't take immediate steps to reduce its opioid epidemic..

4. Cocaine White Gold - National Geographic Drugs Cocaine Documentary

Cocaine is a powerful synthetic drug made from the leaves of coca plants. It is used as a stimulant, an anti-diarrheal, and a local anesthetic. The effects of cocaine include euphoria, increased energy and feelings of well-being. Although research suggests that cocaine can be beneficial in treating ADHD and chronic pain, it's not always safe or healthy to use. Here are 15 things you should know about cocaine before experimenting with this drug.

More than four million people in the United States use cocaine regularly and it earns more money for them than gold. From a Peruvian farm crop to a product of the Sinaloa Cartel, this substance has been with society since ancient times. It is also supplied by celebrities who are dealers on the red carpet- their high-speed pursuits make these arrests extra hot and huge media events!

5. World's Scariest Drug - VICE Drugs Documentary

VICE went to Colombia to check out a strange and powerful drug called Scopolamine, also known as "The Devil's Breath." It's a substance so intense that it renders a person incapable of exercising free will. The first few days in the country were a harrowing montage of freaked-out dealers and unimaginable horror stories about Scopolamine. After meeting only a few people with first-hand experience, the story took a far darker turn than we ever could have imagined.

6. The Meth Epidemic - Meth Documentary

Methamphetamine was first synthesized by a Japanese chemist in the early 1920s. It became popular worldwide starting in 1949, and its use peaked about 15 years later, when large quantities of it were consumed during the Vietnam War era. Its popularity again skyrocketed with an increase in club culture that led to increased production and consumption from Mexican cartels as well as international drug trafficking organizations (DTO). The United States is now one of the world’s largest consumers despite having developed strict laws against all recreational drugs since 1970, which has made methamphetamine difficult to limit or control through law enforcement efforts alone.

7. Chasing Heroin - Heroin Documentary

The series first looks at the origins of addiction and how two unlikely groups of people — some who use drugs, others in law enforcement or government — have made themselves central to solving it. Interviews with those directly affected by this epidemic provide a glimpse into what life is like inside America’s heroin crisis. The show then examines the intersection between production and distribution, focusing on Chinese drug cartels that are now supplying more than half the world's supply of opioids. Finally, FRONTLINE asks why so many Americans are dying from overdoses as well as whether we can stem this tide.

8. O-High-O: the Road to Addiction, and Back - Documentaries about Drugs Addiction

The opioid crisis has brought the issue of addiction to light, with addicts dying in the street from legal or not. It is difficult for counsellors and community members at rehab facilities near Akron, Ohio to consult on how best to help these individuals who need it most. RT Documentary features interviews with residents of a drug recovery center and participant parents about what brought them there and their true chances at building an addiction-free life.

9. Mum, Heroin and Me - Drug Addiction Documentary

Hannah is 20, a heroin addict and the only child of two wealthy parents. Her father has been an alcoholic for years, and her mother struggles with depression. Hannah's battle with addiction started when she was 16 after experimenting to relieve stress from school work. She spiraled into using heroine as soon as possible because it "made everything better." As time went on, drinking became more difficult, so Hannah turned to drugs to cope with things such as being bored at home or going out without friends.

10. The ICE Epidemic: Australia's Fatal Addiction - Drug Addiction Documentary

Reggie Yates travels down to Melbourne to find out why Australia's second city is facing such a dangerous epidemic of the drug known as ice. He meets two other users from different ends of society who are about to enter rehab and embeds himself in local police force. It seems like an ugly case with many layers, but Reggie digs deep into his journalistic talent and finds some unexpected truths that come up during this investigation.'.

11. Coming KLEAN: Stories of Overcoming Addiction - Drugs Recovery Documentary

This documentary is about addiction, the stigma that surrounds it, and ultimately, how to change the conversation surrounding addiction. It has chapters outlining various aspects of addiction-from initial beginnings to recovery and today's life-which go into much more detail than most documentaries do. The film hopes not only to erase stigma, but also seeks a way for all of us to begin conversations to help an addict or those around them find coping mechanisms regarding ways they can move forward after an experience like this without losing hope.

12. JUNKIE: Award-Winning Short Film on Drug Addiction - Documentary on Drug Addiction

In his darkest hour, he finds hope and light in a nearly-unrecognizable place. His friends at the halfway house become more than just acquaintances; they are family members offering him guidance on how to make real change with their own lives. With the support of these people around him, he begins fighting for physical health and mental stability while also pursuing creative outlets that help define who he is as an individual today.

13. Extreme Drug Smuggling - Drug Trafficking Documentary

A documentary about the lives of those involved in drug smuggling, from those who grow and process the drugs to those who transport them.

14. The Psychedelic Frontier - Documentaries about Psychedelic Drugs

War veterans with PTSD often find that conventional therapies for addiction and mental health are not effective, leading them to turn to alternative treatments such as psychedelics. These inventions could change the way we treat these issues in the future.

15. The Rise and Rise of Psychedelics - Psychedelics Drugs Documentary

The UK is experiencing a psychedelic renaissance. Young people in England and Wales are taking three times more LSD than they did 5 years ago, scientists at top universities are claiming hallucinogens can revolutionise how we treat mental illness and the use of magic mushrooms has been increasing by around 40 percent year-on-year. Despite studies showing that psychedelics are some of the safest drugs you can take, we meet one person who spilled a bottle of acid on himself but still never stopped seeing things! We also see how these substances have become popular health craze as seen through our shamanic mushroom ceremony where 50 people experienced something they couldn’t explain while tripping out in a London warehouse.

When you hear this new generation of drug takers, what comes to mind? As the self-help trend grows, what happens when thousands of people start trying to solve their mental health problems themselves by taking powerful hallucinogens in unregulated settings?

Conclusions: Documentaries about Drugs

It’s no secret that drugs are a big part of the world we live in. They are one of the biggest social, moral and health issues we face in the 21st century. But to find solutions, we need to understand the problem. This is where documentaries come in. Documentaries are a great way to open your eyes to drug use and abuse and get an education on how to combat it.

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Images credits: Unsplash.com