Films Can Save Lives Too –

March 4, 2018 – Documentary filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon chose Huntington as the setting for her short doc about America’s opioid crisis, Heroin(e). It’s now nominated for an Oscar. One those heroines is the town’s fire chief, Jan Rader. She spends her days in an endless cycle of trying to revive addicts who have overdosed. In the film, she conservatively estimates that Cabell County — home to Huntington and to around 96,000 people in total — spent $100 million in healthcare costs associated with IV drug use in 2015. Another heroine is Patricia Keller. She’s the judge of the town’s drug court program, administering justice and compassion to those returning to her courtroom again and again. We spoke with both women.
Full Story @ NPR.org