In 2020, an estimated 61 million people used opioids globally, of which almost half used heroin. The danger with such statistics, is that they can quickly become just a number, unless we put a face or voice to the number. By doing so, we can better understand the negative impact that opioid dependence can have on the everyday lives of people suffering from this chronic condition.
Opioid dependence is a chronic condition characterized by drug seeking and use, that is compulsive, or difficult to control, despite knowing the harmful consequences. It can be triggered by many factors, e.g., a family issue, peer pressure, social glorification, and/or thrill seeking.
To increase the understanding of opioid dependence and the devastating impact it can have on a person’s life, Camurus asked W to create a short film consisting of people with a history of opioid dependence talking about how they became opioid dependent and the impact it had on their life.
After discussing with the Camurus team, W developed a short film capturing interviews of people from the UK and Australia graphically describing impact the condition had on their life, including why they started taking illicit drugs, what they did to fund their opioid dependence and how it negatively affected their life.
The film was used at an internal Global employee meeting to communicate the devastating impact of opioid dependence.