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Aims:

• the addictive nature of heroin and cocaine
• the potential consequences of a drug injecting lifestyle
• the risks to health, and hazards to others, of injecting drugs
• the experiences of individuals and workers at the sharp end of drug dependence.

Synopsis:

A series of three films following the everyday lives of people coping with the effects of alcohol and illicit drugs, from an up close and personal perspective. The series provides a realistic insight into the nature of drugs and their use, the associated risks, and the impact on individuals, families and communities dealing with the issues.

Programme 1 : Damage Limitation

This programme explores the day-to-day lives of injecting heroin addicts and those who try to help them.

Teachers and lecturers should familiarise themselves with guidelines that apply when working in drug education and be familiar with policies in their institutions relating to tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.

00.00 – 01.14
Nature of dependence: alcohol, tobacco, heroin, crack. City drug problems.

01.15 – 07.27
Vicky, project worker, sees worst end of drug use: loss of families, jobs, health, hope. Glynn 32, first hit with heroin amazing. Scott 29, moved to heroin from other drugs. Project services: health checks, training, safe needle disposal and advice to reduce risks to users, others, community and environment.

07.28 – 10.56
Scott beaten up. Sees heroin as worst drug. Affected by brother’s death. Describes cycle of addiction.

10.57 – 14.55
Glynn has lost confidence. Isolated. Attends ‘injecting safely’ training course.

14.56 – 17.18
Glynn good at school, fit, a trained chef. Saw drugs as sport. Father committed suicide.

17.19 – 19.09
To Scott, heroin most important thing in life.

19.10 – 22.34
Vicky visits Glynn. Can’t remember row with neighbour, not managing syringes. Addicts are a marginalised group not capable of looking after each other.

22.35 – 24.00
Scott blames no one but himself but can’t see a way out.

Curriculum Relevance:

This programme has a major PSHE and citizenship focus with opportunities for cross-curricular work involving human biology, psychology, sociology, religious and moral education, history, English, drama and art. It has a locus in whole school approaches to drug issues in school and the community.

England & Wales

PSHE and Citizenship: Key Stage 4 – Developing a Healthier Safer Lifestyle
National Healthy Schools Standard for Citizenship: Key Stage 4

Northern Ireland

Teachers should be aware of relevant guidelines for 14-18 year olds emerging from the Civic, Social and Political Education programme of study in the revised NI curriculum. Particularly relevant:

Learning for Life and Work Area
Local and Global Citizenship Strand
Personal Development Strand (including both PSHE and home economics)

Scotland

Scottish Executive: Drugs in Schools and Guidance on Health Education, PSD, Citizenship, Drug Education – middle to upper secondary stages.
Local Alcohol and Drug Action Team guidelines.

Background Information:

Some figures from the film

• In the UK an estimated 3,000,000 people are alcohol dependent.
• Every year an estimated 120,000 die as a result of tobacco.
• In relation to illicit drugs, those dependent on heroin and crack cocaine are among the most needy.

Injecting drug users
Many injecting drug users find it hard to hold down a job once they are injecting every day. This often leads to loss of contact with family and homelessness. The drug project at St Anne’s in Leeds is just one of many operating in the UK. The project was born out of a needle exchange scheme. It has approximately 3,000 clients and gets through 330,000 needles in a year and now offers a range of services.

Drugs in the city, drugs in the country
The film focuses on drug problems in an inner city area. It is important to be aware that problems associated with drug use are not just a city problem. There is evidence that there are substantial drug problems in some rural parts of the UK, and that while poverty and deprivation may express themselves differently in rural areas than in cities, there is a link with drug use. Frequently there is difficulty in drug problems being recognised in rural communities, both by the communities themselves, and by city people with romantic notions about country life.

The importance of education
In terms of working with the issues and establishing support, centrally based services are problematic in rural areas because of distance, travelling time and lack of child care facilities. Reluctance to accept services in nearby and rival towns, concerns about confidentiality, stigma, maintaining anonymity, and the blurring of professional and social boundaries, set their own challenges. As in the city, education is therefore essential in helping rural communities recognise and work with the drug problems they face in an appropriate way.

Cocaine and crack
In the short term, both can cause anxiety and tension while using. After use individuals may feel depressed. Can cause convulsions, chest pains and sudden death from heart attack and stroke, as well as breathing and lung damage. In the long term can cause paranoia, hallucinations, aggression and weight loss. Cocaine and especially crack cocaine are highly addictive. Chronic use can also cause severe damage to heart and circulation, brain damage and severe mental health problems.

Heroin
In the short term there is a real risk of drug overdose, possibly leading to coma or death, particularly when mixed with other drugs. In the long term heroin is highly addictive, and larger and more frequent doses may be needed to feel normal. Injecting can damage veins, and sharing needles can spread hepatitis, HIV and other infections.

Activities:

Before viewing
1. In groups or as a class, brainstorm the following and record responses on a board or paper. Ask students what they associate with:

a) young people sleeping rough
b) older people sleeping rough.

Briefly discuss what students personally think it would be like. Record responses. 2. The film follows inner city drug workers Vicky and Noel through their daily interaction with injecting drug users. Glynn and Scott are two addicts whose lifestyles and pasts emerge. You may wish to have groups of students focus on the following:

a) Scott’s story
b) Glynn’s story
c) the work of the drugs project – Vicky and Noel

See programme outline for specific areas of focus and timings. After Viewing
Key questions

Has the film made students:

1) more aware of something?
2) think more deeply about some issue?
3) changed their opinion about something in any way?

Discuss and compare with original brainstorm. Activity (Class or group)
Put Glynn and Scott’s names in the centre of large piece of paper. Put a circle round each name and – using spokes – build up a profile for each. What's Glynn’s story? What’s Scott’s story? What are the similarities? What are the differences? Are there any inconsistencies? Can you account for these? Does this tell us anything about who becomes addicted? What do you personally feel about these two people? What if they lived near you or attended a centre near you?

Put ‘Drug Project’ in the centre of a piece of paper. Identify the services provided and discuss the purpose of each. How useful or successful do you think they are?

Ask students what they think could be done to improve the situation.

Dealing with Drugs: Programme 1: Damage Limitation
Credits:

Narrator: EMMA B
Music: PAUL FARRER
Graphics: PAUL PEPPIATE
Online Editor: CHRIS TIMSON
Dubbing Mixer: MARK WILLETT
Production Co-ordinator: CAROLINE KEY
Production Executive: JENNY SCOTT
Assistant Producer: AMY GAIRDNER
Film Editor: STEPHEN SHONE
Executive Producer: ALI RASHID
Filmed and produced by HUGO SMITH

Real Life Media Productions for Channel 4