NCJ Number
131124
Date Published
1990
Length
0 pages
Annotation
One of Columbia University's seminars on media and society, this video discusses the mixed messages given to children by all aspects of society as part of the overall drug problem being explored in the 4-part video series, "Hard Drugs, Hard Choices."
Abstract
Using a 35-member panel of judges, attorneys, mayors, directors of the FBI and CIA, police chiefs, and sociologists, this video explores one of the basic problems of the drug abuse problem -- why children start using and selling drugs. Economic pressures are explored in that the situation is set up of 16-year old boy working as box boy being tempted by his friends who are making four times the money he is by selling or running drugs. The panel next explores the possibilities of handling a situation of coming home and smelling marijuana in the house and having the child deny everything. The panel is itself split on how to handle this situation and other similar ones presented to the panel such as dealing with a weekend user friend or one who has an alcohol problem versus a drug dealer or seeing their child buying drugs. Rights of children versus privacy and the right to be raised appropriately with values which will allow society to continue are addressed as well as how to tell children not to do drugs when the parents are drinking, smoking, or weekend users themselves. (See NCJ 131123-131126)