WASTED

PROGRAMME 1: HEROIN

WARNING: This programme contains scenes of drug injecting

The two people in this programme came to be addicted to heroin in quite different ways, and by the end of the film find themselves in quite different places. April, aged 20, is pregnant, a former heroin addict and now dependant on methadone. She and her mother Sherrie talk about their experiences of April's drug use. By the end of the programme, they face a much more positive future.

Ian, aged 19, was orphaned at 5 and then went into care. He began using drugs at a very early age, and is now addicted to heroin, crack and methadone. Ian lives in a hostel and appears to have no family, friends or support. By the end of the film, his future looks bleak.

A growing body of research suggests that for young people who have not received strong messages about drug use in schools, heroin is 'just another drug', no different to cannabis or amphetamines.

PROGRAMME AIMS

• To illustrate the types of problems that can lead to drug use
• To make viewers aware of the types of behaviours associated with drug misuse
• To show the physical, social and emotional consequences of addiction
• To investigate the impacts of drug misuse on both individuals and families
• To show how love, help and support can help some addicts beat their habit.