This Is Your Life DRUG FREE is designed to teach teens the dangers of marijuana and other drugs. Many kids today perceive "there is no risk in using marijuana." We will show otherwise.
Using an MTV, peer-to-peer style, Daniella, Julian, and Rachel show students what their lives were like before, during , and after they were drug users. They all have one thing in common: by age sixteen, each was addicted to drugs. Their lives were torn apart. Now drug free, these three young people tell their stories--in their own words. They draw the audience into the disturbing reality of marijuana and other drugs. This fast-paced and compelling video is intercut with leading drug experts who explain marijuana's effects on the body and the brain. Daniella, Julian, and Rachel deliver a strong personal message that kids can be cool and drug free.

Using an MTV approach to talk to the audience peer-to-peer, Daniella, Julian and Rachel share their stories of drug addiction at age 16. Shot in short segments, using a grainy and realistic filming technique, the video will appeal to a teen audience.

The video is generally fast-paced and the three teens actually look like teenagers - not actors. Intercut in the show are clips from "Reefer Madness", the 1930's anti-marijuana film which has morphed into a cult film. Today "Reefer Madness" is routinely slammed for its scare tactics but amazingly, it contains many of the same experiences Daniella, Julian and Rachel had. The cuts from "Reefer Madness" are a little jarring but with some preparation using the Teacher's Guide, the audience should be able to "get" the connection.

There are also brief interviews with scientists and drug experts and a good segment featuring rats stored on cannabinoids. An optional section includes reference to rape.

This is not a prevention video but rather is a terrific intervention tool. Youth who are already in trouble in school or in the community could benefit from this video whether they have used drugs or not. Certainly teens who have used drugs and think they can "handle it" should see it. The featured teens are quite believable.

Recommended for high-risk high school youth as an intervention tool. Durrin Productions, Inc., 4926 Sedgwick Street NW, Washington, DC 20016, 1-800-536-6843. www.Durrinproductions.com. Length: 28 minutes, VHS, $199 plus $10 shipping and handling. (Reviewer: Paula Kemp.) "This Is Your Life DRUG FREE"

Three former drug/alcohol abusers (Rachel, Daniella, and Julian) discuss their addiction and recovery in this snappily paced program. Clips from the vintage anti-marijuana film "Reefer Madness" are intercut with interviews, statistics, and short dramatized re-enactments. Julian recalls the first time he tried marijuana at age 14; Rachel and Daniella remember their escalating drug and alcohol use that resulted in overdoses, school suspensions, legal problems, and sexual promiscuity. In captioned segments labeled "imprisoned," "how to lose your mind," and "how to lose your life," the teens discuss the physical, legal, and social consequences of their addictions. Arrested for drunk driving, Daniella is currently confined to her home with a leg monitor because of a probation violation. With quick cuts that mimic a hip MTV production, this cautionary program personalizes the adverse physical and emotional effects of substance abuse by featuring three "real" teens who are in recovery. This video is available without the short, optional "rape" segment. -Sue Ellen Beauregard

School Library Journal, July 1999

Gr 6-12 - Three teens talk to a class of students about their past alcohol and drug problems. They started using drugs and alcohol because they thought it was cool and believed that they could control their use. They were wrong. Marijuana, alcohol, and other drugs took over their lives as their grades dropped and family relations worsened. Both girls had serious health problems- one was raped and still has memory difficulties. Julian was convicted of armed robbery, and later found himself locked out of his house. Now drug free, the three teens recount how their lives have changed and warn others about the dangers of drugs. These personal are juxtaposed with brief sequences of medical information, scenes from the teens' drug days, and amusing clips from "Reefer Madness," an anti-marijuana film from the 1930's. The video can be purchased with or without the segment on gang rape. The fast pace and personal stories will hold students' interest as well as raise important questions about drug use. -Anita Gordon

$199, includes 15 page teacher's guide.

ISBN: 1-878836-08-0