Kids Talking to Kids About Drugs: Straight Scoop, Videotape and Teacher's Guide Book

• NCJ Number: 182337
• Author(s): Cerylle A. Moffett
• Date Published: 2000
• Length: 17 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Office of National Drug Control Policy
• Sale Source: Office of National Drug Control Policy
• Publication Format: Film
• Publication Type: Instructional Material
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: VHS color video, 26 minutes

Annotation

This video, accompanied by a teacher's guide for classroom discussion of the video, documents the experiences of six teenage "journalists," trained by media experts, who traveled by bus throughout the southeastern United States in August 1999 to talk with various youth groups about the impact of illegal drugs on youth.

Abstract

For 10 days, these young "reporters" interviewed teenagers to learn about their attitudes toward drugs. What these teen reporters saw and the stories they heard are captured in this video. The video is divided into six segments, with each lasting approximately 4 minutes. The first segment, "Choices," consists of the six youth "reporters" discussing their own attitudes toward the use of illegal drugs. Most state that they have never been faced with a strong temptation to use drugs, but they note that at some point they did make a conscious, reasoned decision that drug use would be a negative experience for their lives. The second segment, "Truth: Staying Drug-Free," involves "reporters'" conversations with youth who have used drugs in the past and are attempting to remain drug-free. They advise that staying away from peers who use drugs in group social interactions is the key to remaining drug-free. Two segments, "Coming Back" and "Real Life Consequences," focus on the difficulties encountered in dealing with the physical and mental effects of drugs and in attempting to break free from dependence on drugs. In the fifth segment, "Parents Count: Talking vs. Listening," youth discuss the importance of being able to talk with their parents about the availability of drugs and the peer pressure to use drugs. In the concluding section, "Wrapping Up," the six teen "reporters" talk about their experiences on the trip and offer advice to those teens who are watching the video. The accompanying teacher's guide provides guidelines for using the video in a classroom setting and the structuring of the discussion after classroom viewing of the video.