Choices...For Students (Part 1)

Opening with a very realistic dramatization of a conflict that develops when a boy's crowd of friends hassle him to get high, Choices goes on to create a powerful tableau of the pressures on teenagers that lead to drug use. Neither preachy nor authoritarian, the program effectively gets its point across through the use of personal anecdotes and testimony from teen ex-users, footage shot in a juvenile detention center, and a grisly trip through the house of a woman whose husband slashed her with a butcher knife while on PCP. Olympic gold medallist boxing star Paul Gonzales acts as a role model for achieving a sense of self-worth without drugs. Although the film focuses on Hispanics, it should be an effective stand-alone program for any group of 7th to 12th graders. Available in English and Spanish. A companion tape, Choices...For Parents (Part 2), is also available from: Madera Cinevideo, 620 East Yosemite Ave., Madera, CA 93638. (Elliott Swanson )