Emerging Drugs of Abuse 2013
Distributed by Human Relations Media, 41 Kensico Drive, Mt. Kisco, NY 10549; 800-431-2050
Produced by Scott Sniffen
Directed by Scott Sniffen
DVD, color, 20 min.
Jr. High - General Adult
Drug Addiction, Drug Use, Drug Abuse, Health Sciences
Date Entered: 04/23/2014
Reviewed by Lori Widzinski, Multimedia Collections and Services, University Libraries, University at Buffalo, State University of New YorkThis Human Relations Media production is a good, solid, overall view of drugs that are making the rounds with younger teens as well as young adults. Aimed at those age groups, the program targets the addictive properties, side effects (some of which are pretty horrific), and recovery issues of several new(er) substances. One of the take away messages is that these drugs, most of which are synthetic concoctions, are changing so quickly, it’s difficult to know what they’re made of—an issue that is a constant struggle for medical professionals who end up treating overdoses and lingering psychological problems.
Filmed in a traditional news show format, with comments from a group of teens, former drug users, and health care professionals, Emerging Drugs of Abuse hones in on the most popular and highly addictive drugs, the chapter headings giving a nice summary: Spice/K2, Bath Salts, Molly, Salvia & Kratom, Prescription Drugs, and Chemical Cocktails. The last chapter, Right Side Up, provides several suggestions for teens using or considering using drugs to realize they can get help—talking to someone they trust, being positive and staying true to yourself, among them. While these are targeting drug use here, they are all good ways to help weather the sometimes rocky road of adolescence.
The program provides very good coverage of a few stand-out issues: the problem of prescription drugs and how easily they can lead to other more dangerous drug use; the dangerous and unknown substances that are cut into such drugs as Molly, Spice, and other chemical cocktails; and the changing and somewhat devious marketing of these drugs to kids.
It’s always a little tricky to title a program “new” or “emerging” given the time constraints those words project.
Human Relations Media has a nice niche market to young adults and continues their high quality productions here. Recommended for high school media center collections, and education and health sciences collections in college and university libraries.