Drug Wars: Rx to Die For

Most teens are used to hearing the warnings about illegal drugs such as marijuana or crack. However, the ready availability of prescription drugs, along with the perception that they're safer to take because “it's just medicine,” means that more and more teens are caught up in—and dying from—prescription drug abuse. Combining interviews with law enforcement personnel, students, doctors, and family members, Drug Wars: Rx to Die For paints a grim portrait of a new drug epidemic. One student, talking about the widespread abuse in her school of prescription meds, says that it takes less than 15 minutes to obtain an illegal dose of Vicodin. Kids with a legitimate Ritalin prescription often sell it to others, while many parents who don't monitor their bathroom cabinets may be unwittingly providing their children with a ready supply of other drugs to sell. Viewers will also learn about drug terminology, signs of addiction, and genetic predispositions. Although the dramatic recreations and repetitive music track border at times on the melodramatic, this video does a solid job overall of presenting a timely, relevant message about the problem of prescription drug abuse. Recommended. Aud: J, H, P. (E. Gieschen)