By Eliza PARTIKA

The Glendale Police Dept. (GPD) and City of Glendale held a screening of “Dirty Drugs: An Overdose Crisis by Design” on Feb. 26 at the Look Cinemas. The GPD-sponsored film follows the impact of fentanyl on three Glendale families over several years, some of which were also in attendance and spoke on a panel after the film. The panel of experts and Glendale community members with lived experience highlighted how important it is to educate students and families about the effects and warning signs of drug and alcohol addiction, and to reduce the stigma surrounding drug use. Volunteers and experts from NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) attended the event to provide resources to families, further emphasizing the need to provide information to those who need it. 

Mayor Ara Najarian said the film “shines a light on a crisis that is happening everywhere” – including in Glendale. 

“Addiction does not discriminate. It impacts people of all ages, backgrounds and neighborhoods,” he said in his opening remarks of the night. 

Interim Glendale Police Chief Robert William created the Substance Abuse and Wellness Resource Program three years ago when he and his officers began to notice an uptick in emergency calls involving overdoses or drugs laced with fentanyl. William brought together officers with experience in mental health and addiction crises, including health care workers, to create a force that would change the way GPD responded to the opioid crisis in the city, “treat[ing] the whole individual” rather than penalizing them for drug use, as one GPD officer said in the film. “Dirty Drugs” was part of this effort to raise awareness of the effects of fentanyl and the urgency of the problem, where “one time can be the last time,” intoned the officer. 

“This film does not sensationalize. It humanizes. It shows the ripple effect of how one life lost leaves a lasting impact on mothers and fathers, siblings, friends, classmates and first responders,” he said.

The film discussed how the GPD’s efforts have revealed a steadily worsening overdose problem for the Jewel City. Prevention efforts have become even more critical, said Chief William in an interview with the CV Weekly, as overdose calls climbed from 2022 to 2025.

William thanked audience members for their interest in the film. 

“We hope this film starts conversations in homes, in schools and among friends, because behind every statistic that you hear tonight is a name. Behind every name is a family, and behind every family is a community that feels that love. If tonight’s conversation reaches even one person before a choice is made, before a life is lost, then this film will have done exactly what [it]  was meant to do,” said William. 

The panel offered everything from advice for parents who are navigating recovery and treatment programs to ideas on how to share information about drug use and safety with kids. 

When asked what his advice would be for parents and to the community that can help prevent an addiction or an overdose, parent Marco Khan, whose child overdosed on fentanyl, said that honest conversations and being present for your child go a long way in helping to recognize signs for concern and preventing overdose. 

“When you have problems, talk to people, seek help,” said Khan, whose son is recovering from addiction.

Panelist Elena Hunanyan, a board-certified psychiatrist, said that often resistance to treatment comes from stigma and a lack of support or conversation. She suggested motivational interviewing, a technique designed to create a partnership in care rather than penalizing the person for unawareness of their condition, to help families and loved ones get the care they need.

Azad Abed-Stephen, a therapist with 12 years of sobriety and lived experience overcoming heroin and meth addiction, agreed. 

“If you come not from a shaming place, you leave a place for [your loved one] to be honest and you cultivate that safety for them to feel they can be honest with you,” Abed-Stephen said. 

Representatives from NAMI, Glendale YWCA, the Impact Foundation and CV Cares Coalition, GPD, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital and County of Los Angeles Public Health showed attendees the targeted resources available to individuals and families who want to know more about substance use disorders or who are facing a recovery journey. USC Verdugo Hills walked participants through the common misconceptions about alcohol and drug addiction and what addiction does to the body. Glendale Unified School District offered information about its wellness programs and the Youth Empowerment Initiative to help at-risk youth. 

To people working in these spaces, it means everything to be able to share their expertise with families, said a volunteer from Los Angeles Public Health who was handing out boxes of Naloxone nasal spray and Narcan (naloxone HCI) – substances which help to revive people who are having an opioid overdose. 

“We get to meet other community members but on top of that we always seem to talk to people who are having an issue. I spoke to a gentleman … for about 20 minutes about our sons, and we had such a personal connection because both our sons had substance abuse issues. You always find someone to talk to [about this] and it helps us just as much,” he said. 

Glendale Unified School District’s Student Wellness Interim Director Dr. Narineh Khemichian said the focus for her office is treating students holistically. The Youth Empowerment Initiative, which was developed for GUSD students in grades 8-12 facing challenges with school success and their families, creates a support system where children learn effective communication and coping strategies, and parents learn how to support their children. 

“We invite our families to come in …. These are students who have had some sort of obstacle to their learning. It could be attendance issues, it could be substance abuse issues. We embed that information in these sessions. It’s our belief that if we don’t provide resources for these students they will not be able to access education the way they need to,” said Khemichian. She said there are already plans to show the film in all GUSD schools. 

“I was very anxious to share this film. The idea is to spread awareness,” said “Dirty Drugs” director and producer Peter Bahlawanian. He described one of the most impactful interviews in the film is with an addict who is being drug tested at the GPD station. 

“He wanted to be part of the solution, not the problem,” said Bahalawian. 

For information about recovery from substance use disorder, contact the Glendale Police Dept. Substance Abuse and Wellness Recovery Program.