Bombed!

"Man, what a party! It was great! I got so bombed!" Without resorting to statistics, preachy messages, or guilt-inducing tactics, this video manages to convey the dangers of alcohol to young people, via a reality-TV style documentary (like Cops or Rescue 911). Alcohol is a drug--but easily accessible, even to minors, and socially glorified. Spring break parties and frat/sorority activities are notorious for excessive alcohol consumption. What is perceived as fun or exciting, especially by younger kids who look to the college crowd as role models, is actually a downward spiral that can end in death. The images in this video are not pretty, nor are they fabricated: we see a teen in ER getting his stomach pumped after binge drinking, Daytona Beach spring breakers staggering and puking all over the street, and arrests being made for disorderly conduct or public drunkenness. The ugly consequences of irresponsible drinking are brutally clarified by Megan, an 18-year-old now living in a halfway house who consented to give an interview to alert kids to the real dangers of addiction. She gives a straightforward, candid account of how hardcore partying led to drug use, sexual promiscuity, and a police record--and how she now faces serious physical problems, alienation from her family, and a lifetime of regret. The underlying message is that responsibility starts with the individual: buying social acceptance with alcohol is a bad bargain. Strongly recommended. Aud: J, H. (E. Gieschen)