Drugs

Gr 7 Up—In what comes off as gimmicky, the filmmakers attempt to give viewers the feeling of being on drugs by swirling patterns and colors over the participants. Sometimes speakers are bright green or blue or superimposed with a speeding street scene, or they dissolve into a Rorschach-like image. Throughout the program, one male and one female teen are shown walking city streets, seated before a TV, or with blank expressions amidst the synthesized backgrounds. Contrary to the title, this program doesn't deal with misconceptions about drugs, but strictly with the facts narrated by Chris Morely, Drug and Alcohol Youth Worker. Legal and illegal drugs are defined and very general information on their effects is presented. The narrator states that drug abuse can have an impact on health, relationships, work/school, finances, and may lead to legal problems. What's lacking is real teens talking about their personal experiences in a way that moves viewers. When the young woman talks about her overdose, it's with an odd lack of emotion. The male teen explains how smoking marijuana made him withdraw from other activities and friends, but he doesn't relate why he started smoking and what made him stop. This video would be more useful if teens talked about the ill effects that drug use has had on their lives. As for prevention and treatment, teens are urged to talk to friends, family, and professionals, but they are not instructed on how to find professional help aside from the three websites that are listed. Pass on this one.—Constance Dickerson, Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library, OH