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Aims:

To raise awareness of:

• legal issues surrounding drug possession and criminality
• social and legal issues that impact on injecting drug addicts and communities
• attempts to prevent criminality, and break the ‘addiction, crime, conviction’ cycle
• drug cultures in two different locations, and different approaches to enforcement.

Synopsis:

A series of three films following the everyday lives of people coping with the effects of alcohol and illicit drugs, from an up close and personal perspective. The series provides a realistic insight into the nature of drugs and their use, the associated risks, and the impact on individuals, families and communities dealing with the issues.

Programme 3: Crime Prevention

This programme looks at approaches to reducing both criminality and drug-related crime in two very different social locations.

Teachers and lecturers should familiarise themselves with guidelines that apply when working in drug education and be familiar with policies in their institutions relating to tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.

00.00 – 01.07
Drug possession and conviction means criminal record. Can affect job and travel prospects. Worse for repeated crime to feed habit. New police referral system in Bradford addresses issues.

01.08 – 05.07
Danny works with users released from prison. Offers to replace street drugs with prescribed ones to break crime cycle. Individual choice. Fails to meet repeat offender Brandon, who scores.

05.08 – 05.47
For first drug offence, hoping person will reflect in cell and volunteer for scheme, avoiding further police action. Would need more workers if compulsory.

05.48 – 08.02
Harrogate, different scene. First-time and regular drug offenders getting on with lives. Referral scheme compulsory for both to avoid criminal sentence. Failure to meet worker, immediate prosecution. Process confidential. Some think it’s a let-off; others think it brings control to drug use.

08.03 – 10.08
Sam injects speed. Has criminal record. Peter helped. Initially she didn't take scheme seriously. Worried about another custodial sentence.

10.09 – 16.54
Brendan meets Danny. Has to make sure he really is using. Subutex prescribed. Will be sick if uses heroin. Adopted mum helped Danny at first. Peter works with Sam who had chaotic speed injector lifestyle.

16.55 – 24.00
Brendan still stealing. Sam cooperates. Brendan taking subutex and crack cocaine. Steals. Back to jail. Sam hopes she won’t get a custodial sentence.

Curriculum Relevance:

This programme has a major PSHE and citizenship focus with opportunities for cross-curricular work involving human biology, psychology, sociology, religious and moral education, history, English, drama and art. It has a locus in whole school approaches to drug issues in school and the community.

England & Wales

PSHE and Citizenship: Key Stage 4 – Developing a Healthier Safer Lifestyle
National Healthy Schools Standard for Citizenship: Key Stage 4

Northern Ireland

Teachers should be aware of relevant guidelines for 14–18 year olds emerging from the Civic, Social and Political Education programme of study in the revised NI curriculum. Particularly relevant:

Learning for Life and Work Area
Local and Global Citizenship Strand
Personal Development Strand (including both PSHE and home economics)

Scotland

Scottish Executive: Drugs in Schools, Guidance on Health Education, PSD, Citizenship, Drug Education – middle to upper secondary stages.
Local Alcohol and Drug Action Team guidelines.

Background Information:

Amphetamine dependence
Across the UK, amphetamine is the second most commonly taken drug after cannabis. More people inject it than any other drug apart from heroin, and it is second only to heroin in the number of users who are dependent. Socialising, controlling weight and providing energy are all reasons given for using the drug.

Injecting amphetamine – a web of risks
Those injecting do so more frequently than heroin users, with increased damage to veins. It can increase sexual activity resulting in many sexual partners and the risk of sexually transmitted infections. Its stimulant effect can contribute to a chaotic lifestyle, psychoses and violence. Damage to individual and public health can be substantial.

Drugs and the law
The law divides drugs into three classes: A, B, C. This is based on the harm individual substances may cause to individuals, families and society.

• Class A includes most dangerous drugs like heroin and cocaine
• Class B includes amphetamines and barbiturates
• Class C includes tranquillisers and some steroids

Amphetamines become Class A if prepared for injection. (Class A carries the heaviest penalties for both possession and dealing.)

Possession and dealing
Possession means being caught with drugs you intend to use. Dealing means selling or giving drugs to others or being caught with drugs you intend to sell or give to someone else. Those found guilty of possession or dealing can be fined, sent to prison or both. See the Links section for information on sentencing.

It is also illegal to supply or sell solvents such as cigarette lighter refills, glue or aerosol sprays to someone in the knowledge that they will be abused. It is illegal to grow or produce drugs. Some drugs are not yet classified and are regulated through the Medicine’s Act, for example ketamine.

Cannabis reclassified – not decriminalised
This is likely to happen in 2004 as cannabis is moved from a Class B to a class C drug. This is not the same as legalisation or decriminalisation. Both the possession and supply of cannabis will remain criminal offences. The maximum penalty for dealing cannabis is likely to remain at 14 years imprisonment. (Check the progress and process of reclassification through the Links section.)

Drugs and Crime
Apart from breaking the law governing the possession, distribution and production of drugs themselves, crime to feed a heroin habit is a problem for police and communities in parts of the UK. Heavy use of heroin and cocaine are much more expensive than alcohol and recreational drugs and can result in crime to feed a habit.

The relationship between crime and injecting drug use is complex. Some heavy users were originally involved in crime, which took them into the world of drugs; others resort to crime to feed a habit. Imprisonment is common but figures vary enormously across the UK and sentences reflect possession and dealing, as well as 'acquisitive' crime. Prostitution has strong links with heroin use.

Activities:

Before viewing
Establish what students know about the following:

a) possession of an illicit substance
b) legal classification of: amphetamine (speed) and heroin
c) sentences for possession of each, and dealing in each.

The film focuses on how the criminal justice system currently operates in relation to illicit drugs in two socially very different locations. Ask students to look out for similarities and differences in:

1) the drug culture
2) the referral schemes currently operated by the police in the two locations.

See programme outline for specific areas of focus and timings.

After viewing
In groups, or as a class, build up a profile of the two areas on large sheets of paper or board. Use the following questions to help.

• What are the geographical and social differences?
• How does this impact on illegal drug use?
• How does the police referral system work in each location?
• What are the similarities? What are the differences? What do they reflect?

Key questions
Did the film make students aware of something they hadn’t thought about before?
Did they see anything in a different light after watching the film?

Activities

1) Ask students to discuss what they think the similarities and differences might be between Danny’s job in the city and Frank’s job in the country town. How did each approach their job? Do they think the referral system in operation affected motivation? What is student reaction to illicit drug users as consumers?
2) Discuss what has brought about a change in Sam’s attitude to working with the referral system, and how she should manage her court appearance.

Links:

This web page contains links to other websites that are neither controlled nor maintained by Channel 4 Television. Channel 4 Television is not responsible for the content of these sites and does not necessarily endorse the material on them.

www.wrecked.co.uk

Developed by Health Promotion England. Aims to educate young people aged 17–25. Information on individual drugs, origins, effects, the law, risks and emergency situations. Section on alcohol.

www.channel4.com/health

Health Magazine ‘Drugs’ provides information on drugs, getting help, health issues and laws and rights.

www.talktofrank.com

Aimed at young people who can consult the A–Z of drugs, check out worries, find sources of help and talk to Frank.

Dealing with Drugs: Programme 1: Damage Limitation
Credits:

Narrator: EMMA B
Music: PAUL FARRER
Graphics: PAUL PEPPIATE
Online Editor: CHRIS TIMSON
Dubbing Mixer: MARK WILLETT
Production Co-ordinator: CAROLINE KEY
Production Executive: JENNY SCOTT
Assistant Producer: AMY GAIRDNER
Film Editor: STEPHEN SHONE
Executive Producer: ALI RASHID
Filmed and produced by HUGO SMITH

Real Life Media Productions for Channel 4