President Barack Obama will share his experience with substance use in an opioid crisis documentary with Macklemore that will premiere worldwide at the White House this afternoon and on MTV next week, the New York-based cable company announced Tuesday.
The president and the Grammy Award-winning artist will both be featured in the premiere of “Prescription For Change: Ending America’s Opioid Crisis,” an hour-long documentary that addresses the ongoing opioid addiction epidemic in America.
“The centerpiece of the doc is a frank conversation between Grammy-Award winning artist Macklemore and President Barack Obama, in which the two openly share their own experiences with substance use as they discuss the scourge and stigma of addiction,” MTV said in a statement. “‘Prescription for Change’ also highlights the societal forces that have contributed to the opioid crisis, as it follows the journeys of three young women in recovery.”
Macklemore, the documentary’s executive producer, said it will highlight “some of the things we need to do to address this epidemic.”
“I’m one of millions of Americans who has struggled with addiction and abused pain killers, and if it weren’t for treatment and recovery I wouldn’t be here today,” he said in the statement.
While MTV will premiere the documentary next Tuesday at 9 p.m., its world premiere will occur at the White House, which is hosting a “South by South Lawn” festival. Ana Marie Cox, MTV News’ senior political correspondent, will moderate a discussion with Macklemore, National Drug Control Policy Director Michael Botticelli and others.
“Prescription for Change” is one of three documentaries MTV Docs, a new filmmaking initiative that seeks to “capture the artists and audiences that inspire MTV,” plans to release this year.