Alcohol, Drugs & Tobacco

People who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcoholism than those who begin at age 21. This program focuses on three teenagers-Trisha, ChiQuita, and Matt-as they candidly reflect on their first tastes of alcohol, how they got hooked on getting drunk, and how they finally summoned the strength to stop drinking, once and for all. Interviews with experienced addiction counselors stress easy availability and societal acceptance of drinking as the main reasons alcohol abuse is so popular with middle school and high school students, while onscreen lists spell out the hard facts of alcohol abuse. The need to deal with feelings, not run from them, is emphasized as well. I'm in recovery now and things are going real good for me, actually," says Matt. "When I have feelings now, I'm not afraid to feel them anymore." A Cambridge Educational Production. (20 minutes)"

In this program real teenagers describe the world of alcohol and drugs that surrounds them and the hard choices they have to make. Viewers hear from teens that have actually experienced the physical, emotional, social, and academic consequences of abusing alcohol and drugs. Many have opted to choose a drug-free life, and their “success” stories clearly demonstrate the benefits of that choice. Teens focus on the “anti-drugs” in their lives: sports, music, family, achieving academic excellence, and setting goals for the future. After viewing this program students will acknowledge that a drug-free lifestyle is a positive choice, realize that drug-use interferes with achieving goals, identify ways to resist the peer and internal pressure to try drugs, and understand that being drug-free promotes better relationships. Expert commentary throughout supports and expands information.

We drink to celebrate, to socialize, to come down from the pressures of the day... The line beyond which a can of beer or a glass of wine will cause irreversible damage to the liver and other systems of the body is much closer than so-called social" drinkers imagine. These programs explain how alcohol affects the body, how much alcohol can be safely consumed during what period of time, what alcoholism is, and how the habit can be broken.4-part series, 26 minutes each."

Sadly, tobacco use among young people is on the increase. This program, targeted at middle and high school students in both urban and rural areas, tries to persuade viewers not to smoke or chew tobacco, and coaches them on how to quit if they already do. The focus is on the toll which nicotine takes on the body. Graphic examples of people with emphysema, chronic bronchitis, cancer of the larynx, and cancerous mouth lesions drive home the point. The effects of smoking during pregnancy, cigar smoking, and secondary smoke are also addressed. Overall, tobacco use is portrayed as an overwhelmingly undesirable habit, likely to hinder social and job prospects, as well as shorten one's life. (30 minutes)

How addictive is cannabis? Does it lead to harder drug use, or is it an underappreciated herbal medicine? Can it cause mental illness? This program explores the science and the public debate surrounding the world's favorite illegal drug. Tracing the birthplace of the humble plant to Kazakhstan in Central Asia, addiction specialist Dr. John Marsden guides viewers through several topics and issues-including links between THC and schizophrenia; experiments on mice suggesting cannabis-related cognitive impairment; the development of Sativex, a cannabis-derived medicine; and California's medical dispensary system, which bears some resemblance to the legalization of marijuana. A BBC Production. (51 minutes)

New findings indicate that some of the most addictive and dangerous drugs are legal ones. This program looks at the pros and cons of the current drug classification system, shedding new light on the physiological and neurological effects of various substances. With the help of London's Institute of Psychiatry and other leading addiction research organizations, the program assesses the risks of alcohol, tobacco, and inhaled solvents, comparing them with class-A drugs like ecstasy, 4-MTA, and LSD-with results that may surprise many in the drug education community. Equally surprising findings about marijuana and its connection to schizophrenia are also included. Original BBC broadcast title: Countdown to Delirium. (51 minutes)

The health hazards of cigarettes were scientifically established by the 1930s. What kept those findings under wraps for so long? This program explores the history of medical research into smoking and the sustained efforts of tobacco companies to block public scrutiny of their deadly product. Renowned anti-smoking activists-including Dr. Stanton Glanz of the University of California San Francisco, Dr. Robert Proctor of Stanford University, and Tobacco.org founder Gene Borio-discuss links between war and cigarette production, the creation of the duplicitous Council for Tobacco Research, the present-day health consequences of Big Tobacco tactics, and other issues. (30 minutes)

Although the counterfeit drug trade impacts the global community, it remains cloaked in secrecy. This program documents every stage of international counterfeit drug traffic, from production to end-user purchase. Michel Koutouzis, a United Nations expert on the subject, begins his investigation in Mumbai, where factories and wholesalers produce fake pharmaceuticals. Koutouzis then follows the sea routes taken by the counterfeiters across the Indian Ocean. On the island nation of Mauritius he studies transactions between traders. In Zanzibar, he observes the drugs being put aboard Arab dhows and then disseminated along the Tanzanian and Kenyan coasts. The final stop? Cities and villages full of vulnerable African patients. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (53 minutes)

On September 30, 2004, pharmaceutical giant Merck voluntarily withdrew its popular painkiller Vioxx after it was linked to increased risks of heart attack and stroke. Was Merck's move driven by genuine concern for patients? Or, given findings from earlier studies, was the recall a self-protective move that came too late? This CNBC investigation takes viewers through the process by which one of Big Pharma's most widely prescribed products was tested, approved, and marketed-at the expense, many say, of thousands of consumers. Several medical experts provide commentary, in addition to FDA whistle-blower David Graham, who has cited numerous faults in the government's handling of Vioxx testing. Not available in French-speaking Canada. Original CNBC broadcast title: Death of a Wonder Drug. (44 minutes)

Psychiatric diagnosis can be classified into several main categories. This program, filmed in the U.K., focuses on alcoholism and the five main areas involving psychoactive substance abuse: dependence syndrome, withdrawal state, withdrawal state with delirium, psychotic disorder, and amnestic syndrome. Interviews with several alcoholics illustrate the various mental disorders associated with the illness, their symptoms, and the differential diagnoses associated with each, including Korsakov's psychosis. (33 minutes)

Alcohol, the most widely used psychoactive drug in the United States, contributes to approximately 100,000 deaths annually-fatalities that could very likely be prevented through education and treatment. This program is designed to promote a deeper understanding of the drinking problem in America, particularly among students on college campuses. The immediate and long-term behavioral and physiological effects of alcohol consumption are discussed as well, including blood alcohol concentration and alcohol absorption rates. (29 minutes)

When antibiotics first came on the scene, deaths from pneumonia plunged. But the microbes that cause the lung infection are resilient and continue to evolve, creating new strains that don't respond to conventional drugs. This program tours a high-tech medical lab where super-bacteria are identified, illuminates ongoing research into fighting drug-resistant MRSA, and explains why serious pneumonia cases can put doctors in a race against time. Expert guests include Dr. Marin Kollef of Washington University's School of Medicine, Dr. John Gill Bartlett of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and Dr. Michael S. Niederman of Winthrop University Hospital. (26 minutes)

I guess the lowest I ever felt was when I got out of jail and none of my friends were there for me. That's when I opened my eyes," says Logan. In this program, she and her peers Howard and Zeb openly talk about what it was like to become addicted to drugs...and what it took to get straight and stay clean. In addition, Ben Jones, of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, and experienced addiction counselors provide insights into why kids turn to drugs in the first place, how drugs take control of their lives, and the short- and long-term health risks associated with drugs. Onscreen lists that give the lowdown on more than a dozen popular substances are also included, explaining what kids call them, ways that they are taken, how they affect the body, and how they alter behavior. A Cambridge Educational Production. (22 minutes)"

How are fetal alcohol spectrum disorders diagnosed? What are the primary and secondary disabilities associated with FASD? And-most important of all-what is the human cost? This program addresses these questions through the firsthand experiences of Ann Streissguth, director of the University of Washington's Fetal Alcohol and Drug Unit; Kathy Mitchell, vice president of NOFAS; Erica Lara, who works at a residential drug and alcohol treatment facility designed especially for women with young children; and Erica Gitis-Miles, a college student who has FASD. The in utero effects of alcohol are considered as well, as are the facial, bodily, neurological, cognitive, and behavioral characteristics of FASD. Recommended for grades 9+. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (31 minutes)

This collection of 18 video clips (1 minute to 2 minutes 30 seconds each) takes a close look at alcohol and tobacco and at addiction. A variety of topics is covered, such as the short- and long-term health risks of binge drinking, fetal damage due to alcohol, brain cell regrowth in recovering alcoholics, DNA damage from smoking, smoking-cessation failure, the DNA of addiction, and cocaine detox via a genetically modified virus. Video clips include... Alcohol • Fruit Flies and Alcohol • Booze-Free Brains • Buzzed Brain • Fetal Alcohol Damage • Alcohol and Advertising • Student Drinking • Teen Drinking Tobacco • Smoking Damage • Smoking Receptor • Smoking, Stress, and Gender • Smoking and Fertility • Smoking and Ethnicity Addiction • Riddle of Addiction • Why Coffee Works • Caffeine Withdrawal • Teens and Steroids • Meth and the Brain • Anti-cocaine Virus (27 minutes)