Will Poulter Backs 'Union County' as Ohio Recovery Court Tops 50% Success Rate
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 15
Will Poulter Backs 'Union County' as Ohio Recovery Court Tops 50% Success Rate
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 15
Summary
Will Poulter said "Union County," released in the US, aims to counter Hollywood's usual addiction tropes by focusing on recovery rather than devastation.
The film is built around a real Bellefontaine, Ohio, drug recovery court, where participants enter long-term treatment with daily sobriety testing and a program Poulter said has an over 50% success rate.
Adam Meeks directed the feature with first-time actors drawn from the local recovery community, a choice Poulter said helped avoid disrupting participants' real 18-month recovery journeys.
Poulter also criticized more than $1 billion in Trump administration cuts to mental health and addiction programs, calling such rollbacks devastating and tied to stigma around substance use disorder.
The actor said the project reflects his commitment to independent film, after taking "Union County" on a screening road trip through Ohio ahead of UK and Australia releases.