Heroin documentary honored by Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts

“Heroin: The Hardest Hit,” Attorney General Mark R. Herring’s powerful documentary on the Commonwealth’s heroin and prescription opioid overdose epidemic, has been honored with two Communicator Awards of Excellence by the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts. The film was a winner in the categories “Online Video – Documentary” and “Online Video – Education.”

“This award belongs to all the Virginians who were brave enough to share their stories so that another family might not have to endure the same pain and loss caused by addiction,” said Attorney General Herring. “These incredible men and women have turned pain and struggle into resolve and commitment, and I will continue to stand by them as we work to address addiction in the Commonwealth.”

“Heroin: The Hardest Hit” premiered in December 2015 at the Library of Virginia in Richmond. It features Virginians sharing their own stories of substance abuse disorder, overdose, and recovery, as well as powerful testimony from the families and friends of young people who lost their lives to a fatal heroin overdose. In the six months since it premiered, the film has been viewed more than 55,000 times online, and more than a dozen screening events have been held around the Commonwealth.

The film and trailer are available to view online at www.hardesthitva.com. Schools, youth and community groups, faith-based groups, parents, recovery advocates, and others can request a DVD of the film through www.hardesthitva.com.

The film was produced by Director of Legislative and Constituent Affairs Brittany Anderson and directed by Emmy Award-winning director Jesse Vaughan of Virginia State University’s Advance Creative Services Group.

Attorney General Herring has made combating the heroin and prescription opioid epidemic a top priority, attacking the problem with a multifaceted approach that includes enforcement, education, prevention, and legislation to encourage reporting of overdoses in progress, expand the availability of naloxone, and expand access to the Prescription Monitoring Program.