Animated video series from Addiction Policy Forum turns the science of addiction into stories that stick
Series seeks to debunk myths & misinformation surrounding the disease
Addiction Policy Forum launched an animated video series — ADDICTION — that turns the science of addiction into stories that stick.
The series is made up of two-to-three minute educational episodes that aim to expand understanding about substance use disorders (SUDs) and debunk myths and misinformation that keep addiction from being treated like any other chronic medical condition. Despite the fact that the US has one of the highest rates of addiction in the world, public conversations around the disease often lack scientific grounding. This not only harms those struggling with SUD, but also distracts from critical considerations about much-needed solutions to the current overdose crisis and addiction as a larger public health issue.
“Most people don’t understand the science of addiction,” says president of Addiction Policy Forum president Jessica Hulsey Nickel, “it’s our job to translate what we know about this disease into stories that patients and families struggling with addiction can actually understand.”
Each episode in the series highlights critical research from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and is the result of intensive collaboration among scientists, patients and families impacted by addiction, and the Addiction Policy Forum. There have been great strides in the field of addiction over the past two decades, The series is animated by New York-based artist Patrick Smith, former animation director for MTV hit Daria and PBS’ Blank on Blank animated series, and was recently invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture and Arts and Sciences, spanning a variety of genres and gaining national attention.