Every anti-drug or anti-alcohol video mentions the physical risks of substance abuse, but this is the first I've seen that actually shows potential consequences in all of their gory detail--a real wakeup call for many teenagers, who tend to think they're indestructible. As far as I could tell from the credits and accompanying material, these are not reenactments, but actual teenage victims: one is a girl who has overdosed on drugs and alcohol; her clothing is cut off, tubes go in every orifice, her stomach is pumped, and her chest is cut open. Another is a drunk driver covered in blood; the doctor has to perform defibrillation, and a nurse is shown calling parents at 3:30 a.m. to tell them their teenage son is in critical condition. In perhaps the most visually arresting segment, a teen who has just died in the ER is zipped up in a body bag and wheeled into the hospital morgue's freezer while a doctor, in voiceover, explains final procedures. Interspersed amongst the high-shock-value footage, there are interviews with both doctors and teen survivors who offer testimony to the film's visual message that this could happen to anyone. Recommended. Aud: H. (E. Gieschen)
Dying High: Teens in the ER
(2002) 26 min. VHS or DVD: $99.99 (teacher's guide & curriculum included). Human Relations Media. PPR. Closed captioned. ISBN: 1-55548-272-4 (vhs). Volume 18, Issue 5
Dying High: Teens in the ER
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