Airing on WGBY Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 9 p.m., NOVA investigates the science of addiction and new discoveries about the brain that show how to treat America’s deadly opioid epidemic. (Photo courtesy WGBY)
SPRINGFIELD — In the midst of the opioid crisis, and in a world in which many other diseases can be traced to addictive behavior, PBS’s NOVA investigates. How does addiction work? How we can resolve this dire social and medical issue?
NOVA joins scientists and sufferers alike as they probe the mysteries of addiction. They are discovering that addiction is not simply a lack of willpower; drug abuse produces significant chemical changes in the brain—changes that are hard to control and hard to reverse. And it is not just drugs; alcohol, sugar, caffeine, and even exercise can incite addictive behaviors.
Prior to the national premiere broadcast (Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 9 p.m.) of the groundbreaking NOVA film, “Addiction,” local public television station WGBY presents two free public advance screening events: Thursday, Oct. 11 at CityStage in Springfield and Monday, Oct. 15 at Greenfield Community College in Greenfield. The screening events are free and open to the public and are sponsored by Mercy Hospital. Details are available at wgby.org/addiction.
In partnership with the Springfield Public Forum, WGBY presents the film at CityStage in Springfield at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 11. The full film will be followed by a community discussion featuring expert panelists led by NOVA Education and Outreach Manager Ralph Bouquet.
Panelists include Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni, Marcy Julian, Senior Western Mass. Regional Manager for Learn to Cope, Liz Whynott, Director of HIV Health and Prevention at Tapestry Health, Della R. Blake, Director of the Black Addiction Counselor Education (BACE) program at Adcare Educational Institute, and Erin Daley, the Director of Emergency Services at Mercy Medical Center.
The panel was programmed in part by the Hampden County Addiction Taskforce, which is co-chaired by the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, Hampden County District Attorney’s Office, and Alison Proctor of the Springfield Dept. of Health and Human Services.
The screening is free and open to the public, but prior online registration is required for this Thursday, Oct. 11 event. Visit wgby.org/addiction to register.
