Worth Saving 2004
Distributed by Fanlight Productions, 32 Court St., 21st Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201; 800-876-1710
Produced by Leah Wolchok and Gretchen Hildebran
Directed by Leah Wolchok and Gretchen Hildebran
VHS, color, 10 min.
College - Adult
Health Sciences, Social Work
Date Entered: 04/01/2005
Reviewed by Lori Widzinski, Health Sciences Library, University at Buffalo, State University of New YorkFor those in social work, nursing, or public health programs, this 10-minute video takes a look at the efforts of San Francisco’s DOPE (Drug Overdose Prevention and Training) program. Working with the police and with heroin users, they provide education and training on how to deal with an overdose. The basic tenant is to empower the drug user to effectively help another who may be overdosing and in do so gain insight into their own situation enough to try to change.
The testimonies of those who have lost loved ones to an overdose are touching, and there is quite a bit of information being dispensed on several levels. While the content is good, it could be better with the addition of some statistics or research on how well the DOPE training is working. They show the use of naloxone as an antidote to an overdose; however more information on how it works would be welcome as would even a brief mention of buprenorphine for longer-term withdrawal. The technical qualities are first-rate, as is typical of Fanlight productions. The short running time is an advantage for educational settings. Recommended for undergraduate health sciences and social work courses.