May 30, 2025

Award-winning Pakistani filmmaker, NYU Alumni and Fulbright scholar Shehzad Hameed Ahmad’s three-part docu-series, Addicted, had its global premiere on CNA on May 24.

This eye-opening series, filmed across 12 countries, dives into the shocking figures released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, which showed that a staggering 296 million people were estimated to have used illegal drugs in 2021 —an incredible 23% rise over the past decade. This increasing trend not only highlights a growing global health crisis but also stresses the urgent need for thorough strategies to tackle the root causes of addiction. News & Documentary alum Shehzad and his team traversed bustling cities to secluded villages, capturing the harsh realities faced by those involved in the production, trafficking, and use of these dangerous substances. View trailer here.