The Totally Disgusting Alcohol Gross Out Video

Gr 9 Up—This short film pulls no punches about the dark side of teen drinking. Sure, some of the scenes are staged, but they're incredibly realistic representations of what happens to teens who drink to excess. The car crash and hospital scenes are real and certainly not for the squeamish. In fact, they rival the films in driver's education classes from 50 years ago—gory, bloody, and unsettling. While teen narrators Michael and Jen are carefree with their black humor, they're careful to make certain that they convey the message that binge drinking or playing drinking games can quickly turn dangerous or even lethal. Viewers are treated to shots of human organs (heart and pancreas) that can suffer permanent damage or shut down from alcohol poisoning. The shots of teeth damaged by acid from vomiting and the failure to brush because of frequent intoxication are pretty gross. In fact, the whole video is pretty gross, but it absolutely grabs the attention of those most at risk. It's doubtful that any group viewing this will remain unaffected, and it would be a surprise if someone didn't run from the room. Too bad. This is a good shock tool and deserves to be shown wherever there's a risk of teens harming themselves through alcohol. It has the potential to save lives, and that's priceless.—John R. Clark, Hartland Public Library, ME