The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper: Season 3, Episode 7

3 - 7: Fentanyl in America: A Way Out

The result of over two years of on-the-ground reporting, Bolduan embeds with those most impacted by America's opioid overdose epidemic. As the crisis enters its "third wave," Bolduan engages with emergency medical technicians, physicians at treatment centers and people struggling with addiction themselves, all seeking new solutions to a decades-old problem. "These past two years have been a uniquely powerful and educational experience for our team. I am grateful to all our interviewees who bravely allowed us in and shared their stories," said Bolduan. "We witnessed first-hand the extraordinary challenges that come with breaking free from the cycles of addiction, and I am hopeful this project will illuminate the human element of the crisis and encourage others who are struggling to seek treatment." "Fentanyl in America" features remarkably candid and intimate interviews with people struggling with addiction. Pregnant women, families, and even drug dealers reveal to Bolduan the harsh realities of illicit fentanyl, a crisis that has propelled new treatment programs. She rides along with the first emergency medical service in the nation to carry buprenorphine, a treatment for fentanyl withdrawal that a study has associated with a nearly sixfold increase in the odds of engagement with addiction treatment. Bolduan also visits a center providing methadone treatments, where some people must visit every day for their daily dose.