Teens: Clean And Sober

There is a refreshing simplicity to the format for this straight-talking anti-drug and alcohol video which features five teenagers discussing their experiences. Shot in a living room, the five teens respond to questions from the interviewer about their lives ("I didn't care if I died"), their decisions to become clean and sober ("the only other option was death"), and their new lives. The impromptu aspect of the script works in favor of the program, since the kids come across as honest and grateful to be alive. Their comments leave no doubt that addiction makes one's life a "total chaos," where self-esteem and happiness simply don't register, and that the whole cycle of addiction is one of gradual self-destruction, both mentally and physically. When queried about the "Just Say No!" anti-drug campaign, one of the boys says that the perception among his peers is that the program is "for little kids." There's some truth to the charge, and teens may benefit more from this gut-level discussion from people they can identify with, than a whole host of more "polished" programs. Highly recommended. (Available from: Video-11, P.O. Box 1429, Durango, CO 81302.)