The A&E special “Dope Man” follows Tim Ryan, a former heroin addict and founder of “A Man In Recovery Foundation” as he helps others struggling with an opioid addiction.
“The whole premise of the show is basically a day in the life of what I do,” said Ryan.
Around 300 people attended a screening of the show’s premiere, at an event hosted by TEDxNaperville at the Yellow Box Church here in town.
Before the premiere, Ryan signed copies of his book “From Dope to Hope: A Man in Recovery” and addressed the crowd.
“We’ve got a pandemic, not just in Naperville or DuPage County, but nationwide,” said Ryan from stage. “This is the number one killer in the United States and unfortunately in the show, we filmed it last year, it says 129 people are dying a day of opiate overdoses, today it’s 144.”
Ryan hopes the show will help others seek help if they have an addiction.
Naperville News 17’s Evan Summers reports.