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Addiction does not discriminate. The compulsive need for alcohol, nicotine, or other drugs affects people of every class, race, and profession. Few Americans have been spared some impact of addiction on their lives -- either directly or through a friend, co-worker, or loved one. Despite its prevalence, however, a clear picture of addiction has not appeared in America. Myth, misunderstanding, and moral judgments have done much to obscure the complexities of an illness that can destroy individuals, tear apart families, and devastate communities. How does addiction happen? Why is it so widespread and so hard to overcome? Who is at risk? What can be done to help addicts recover? Is the war on drugs reducing addiction? Journalist Bill Moyers believes that these questions are keys to understanding what has been called America's number one health problem. Hoping to raise awareness about an issue that has affected his own family, as well as millions of other Americans, Moyers reports on the latest scientific inquiry, public policy analysis, and the dramatic personal experience of recovering people to create a comprehensive human portrait of addiction and recovery in America. MOYERS ON ADDICTION: CLOSE TO HOME, an unprecedented five-part series about the science, treatment, prevention, and politics of addiction, premiered for three consecutive nights beginning Sunday, March 29, 1998 at 9 p.m. (ET) on PBS. (Watch for repeat showings on your local PBS station.) Presented on PBS by Thirteen/WNET in New York, MOYERS ON ADDICTION: CLOSE TO HOME is produced by Public Affairs Television, Inc. "My wife, Judith, and I thought we knew about addiction, until it came close to home," says Bill Moyers, referring to his oldest son's struggle with drugs and alcohol. "What we learned about addiction, and are still learning, prompted this series. It's not about use, or even the occasional abuse, of a substance. We're talking about an obsessive desire -- when something you take, drink, or smoke becomes the master of your mind and the tyrant of your life." To tackle one of modern society's most misunderstood phenomena, Judith and Bill Moyers assembled a team of seasoned producers, editors, and camera crews to create CLOSE TO HOME from locations across the country. Each of the five episodes takes on a different facet of addiction and recovery -- from studies of brain pathology and genetic risk to various approaches to treatment. In each case, the experience of addiction is related by different people -- from parents to prisoners to young children. As the series makes clear, the reality of addiction can be grim, frustrating, and heartbreaking. But along the way -- from laboratory to clinic to Congress -- the Moyers team finds hope and progress in new medical techniques, education, and changing public attitudes.
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