AHS Views

A website called Screen Junkies recently published a list of movies that are sure to discourage people from taking drugs. Most people who haven’t really gotten involved with drugs, or are considering it, think it’s going to be fun. But the problem is that you never really know what’s going to happen. People take drugs to ‘have a good time’, and next thing you know their lives are ruined and they’re desperately in need of addiction help.

One way to deter them is to show them what the drug scene is really like – and to show them how easy it is to get that involved. In fact, anyone who is worried about their kids taking drugs should see these movies as part of their own education, and make sure their kids see them – although you don’t want to do that when they’re very young because these are hard-hitting movies. But some teens will need something this drastic to have an impact on them.

Of course, they’re also good for adults – if you have an older child, spouse, brother, sister, friend that’s involved with drugs or drinking, the movies may help you get them into drug rehab.

The movies are:

28 Days. Sandra Bullock, who plays a role of someone who is taking drugs but still living a life that looks somewhat normal, crashes a car and is given the choice of jail time or rehab. She chooses rehab and, while she’s in there, meets some people who really have serious problems – and it could happen to her.

Trainspotting. The gruesome life of heroin addicts – including one who has a horrible time trying to get off the drug, and another who dies.

Act of Worship. A heroin and cocaine addict is thrown out of her apartment by her boyfriend, becomes homeless, and gets into even more trouble.

Basketball Diaries. What happens to a promising athlete and his family when he starts taking drugs and then becomes addicted.

Traffic. A film involving with a large cast of characters in the drug world – from the big picture of a drug ‘kingpin’ to what happens to the life of a teenage girl.

Clean & Sober. A successful businessman loses everything, and wakes up one morning with a dead girl in his bed who overdosed on cocaine. He goes into rehab, not so much to handle his problem as to hide from police, and realizes he really does have a problem. Again, there’s plenty of interaction with others in his situation.

Thanks to Screen Junkies for putting this list together. Use it – you may save the life of someone you care about.