Putting competition briefly aside, more than a dozen mid-Atlantic TV stations will air a Maryland Public Television special on heroin addiction on Feb. 11.
The hour-long program, Breaking Heroin’s Grip: Road to Recovery, includes a 40-minute documentary highlighting three Maryland opioid users – and their recovery from addiction. MPT produced the show with Maryland state health departments.
“Heroin is destroying lives in Maryland and throughout our nation – from the smallest town to the biggest city,” said Gov. Larry Hogan. “Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford and I have been committed to fighting this crisis since before we took office and will continue to use every resource at our disposal to address this epidemic in a coordinated effort – from law enforcement to treatment – and provide our citizens with the much-needed resources and support they need.”
The documentary will be followed by a live 20-minute broadcast from a special phone bank staffed by crisis counselors, who will field calls from users, as well as their families and friends.
Commercial and public TV stations in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Washington, as well as a near equal number of radio stations, will simulcast the 7 p.m. show, or air it soon after, according to MPT. It will be streamed online at breakingheroin.com, which provides provide public access to information, the state’s crisis hotline, and resources as well.
