If you were suddenly faced with a loved one suffering from substance abuse disorder, a few solutions would probably spring to mind quite quickly. Check them into a rehab facility? Work the NA program?... But what can you think of if asked how to prevent addiction?

For almost every other physical or mental illness there is readily available information on preventative measures. The statement “prevention is better than cure” is used the world over in healthcare for a reason, so why do we draw the line at substance abuse disorder?

Throughout history we’ve seen a repeated pattern of society attempting to solve a problem by simply condemning the behaviour and cloaking it in shame. One golden example of this is President Bush’s 1998 campaign to end teen pregnancy in Texas through abstinence. The campaign cost the government $1billion and had the complete opposite effect, shooting Texas to the top five highest rates of teen pregnancy in the country.

On paper it somewhat made sense, no sex = no babies; however in 2022 we have evolved enough to see why the campaign backfired. By failing to factor in the relevance of WHY teenagers were having sex, the Bush administration sealed its fate as having had one of the most publicly mocked campaign initiatives since Nancy Raegan’s 1986 “Just Say No to Drugs'' campaign (which invariably also had the reverse effect.)

As societal attitudes shifted and sex lost the stigma of being ‘dirty’, suddenly parents understood and accepted that their teenagers would become curious and in turn the teenagers felt safe to ask questions.

Telling someone not to become an addict is about as useful as telling them not to fall pregnant—it doesn’t work unless there are strategies in place.

Sarah believes there is no need for overdose and addiction rates to be as high as they are and we could not agree more. For many active addicts the seeds of substance abuse disorder were planted well before they touched their first drug—be that through mental health, genetics, early trauma or simple misinformation. An honest dialogue around safe drug use and the disease of addiction could, for many, be the first step towards viewing drug users in a new light.

But time is of the essence. With Fentanyl now finding its way into recreational drugs such as marijuana and cocaine, there is an unprecedented wave of school and college age overdose fatalities. In response, the Savage Sisters harm reduction program now includes visiting universities and frat houses where Sarah distributes special strip tests that give the user an immediate reading if their drugs contain Fentanyl—in 28 states the mere possession of one of these tests is illegal.

'Worth Saving.' is a compellingly presented 360° look at all the social, economic and legal components that make up the perfect storm that is Kensington. Just as it did with teen pregnancy, public opinion around drug use will inevitably shift—but it needs to happen now. We've got the right story at the right time, and with appropriate backing this film has the potential to be a cultural watershed moment.