INHERITANCE: Exploring the Underlying Causes of the Opioid Epidemic in America

The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that about one out of every eight kids in America grows up in homes with a substance use problem. And according to the CDC, Fentanyl was responsible for nearly 70% of drug overdose deaths in 2022. Now, the film INHERITANCE places us all on the frontlines of the opioid crisis right here in Ohio.\r\n\r\nFilmed over 11 years, INHERITANCE explores the underlying causes of the opioid epidemic in America through the life of one boy and five generations of his extended family. Curtis, a bright and hopeful 12-year-old, grows up in rural Appalachia surrounded by love and struggle while every adult in his family - parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins - battle addiction. Curtis's America is a country where people and communities are struggling with an epidemic of substance use disorder, joblessness, poverty, and a deteriorating sense of belonging. Can Curtis break the cycle of addiction that has plagued his family for generations?