Click here to see all of the stories in 6 News’ month-long look at substance use disorder, “Heartbreak and Hope.”

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Back in 2017, 6 News took an in-depth look at the problem of heroin and opioid abuse — a series that was titled “A Community Crisis.”

More than a half-decade later, 6 News is re-examining the issue.

Like many people fighting to break the cycle of addiction, there has been successes and set-backs. That’s why this new series, which aired through July, was named “Heartbreak and Hope.”

For the final week of the series, 6 News had a special half-hour broadcast, hosted by Sheri Jones, revisiting the stories that aired this month, in order to take another look at the problem from many angles, including prevention, education, and recovery.

Leading the special was an interview with Kalen Coffelt, a man who lived through an addiction to heroin and originally shared his story with 6 News back in 2017. At the time, he had two years of sobriety under his belt.  

Coffelt, who began using heroin after developing a habit for prescription opioid painkillers during his recovery from two knee surgeries, has continued to make progress and has been sober now for eight years.

Another man who also participated in the 2017 series, Mike Hurst, also returned to share his experience with addiction. His son, Andy Hurst, died due to an overdose.

Mike Hurst has since founded a nonprofit recovery center, Andy’s Angels, to help people who are trying to undergo recovery.

Other interviews in the special are those with Judge Donald Allen, Jr. of Ingham County’s 55th District Court, who leads a Sobriety Court program, and the founders of a mobile recovery clinic that brings resources directly to people in need all across Michigan.

Also included in the special, a recap of the drug drop off 6 News hosted earlier this week.

One of the biggest sources of opioid addiction is prescription drugs. Many people who are addicted say at one point they took drugs from the medicine cabinets of friends and family.

The drop off let people bring in unwanted pills and dispose of them safely, as tossing pills in the trash or flushing them down the toilet is bad for the environment. 

With help from the Ingham County Sheriff’s Department, 6 News collected 160 pounds of pills.

The special also turns to Jackson, where a mother spoke out about her son’s death to an overdose and how addiction was impacting the community at a local apartment home.

You can watch the full broadcast in the video player above.

If you or somebody you know is looking to get help for addiction, resources available in the Lansing area include: