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Just say ?yes? to new video

BY JASON THOMPSON jason@northernlife.
BY JASON THOMPSON

With little more than a borrowed camera, hand-held lighting, a microphone and a few youths willing to talk about their experiences, Derek Newman set out to re-invent the wheel when it comes to educating kids about drug abuse.

What We?ve Learned: A Youth Perspective of Drug Misuse is available for sale in DVD format at the Sudbury Action Centre for Youth for $20.
The fruit of Newman?s labour isWhat We?ve Learned: A Youth Perspective of Drug Misuse.

The made-in-Sudbury documentary charts the life of the film?s narrator, who didn?t want to appear on camera, from the first time he tried drugs to the first time he tried to commit suicide. The narrator?s story is intertwined with other real-life stories of drug use and educational sequences exploring the facts about drugs and their devastating effects on the human body.

Newman said his film is honest, direct and doesn?t pull any punches when it comes to addressing the difficult subject matter, unlike the films he was shown in school.

?When I was in school, they?d show a Bill Cosby-type guy with a 80s sweater talking about drugs,? recalls Newman, a worker at the Sudbury Action Centre for Youth. ?You just don?t associate with that.?

Newman believes his idea of youth talking to youth about drugs would be much more effective than a professional in a suit saying, ?don?t do it.?

?I really don?t think that youth realize what taking an opiate, or any drug really, is going to do to you,? Newman said. ?It?s going to change you in so many different ways, you can?t imagine . . . and in this video, they say it.?

In addition to educating youth about drugs, Newman?s film also takes aim at parental attitudes towards drugs and how some parents respond when they discover their kids are on drugs.

?I hear a lot of parents will say, ?how could you do this to me?? Well what does this have to do with you?? Newman wonders. ?It?s your son or daughter that?s in trouble.

?If your son or daughter comes to you and is doing drugs, you need to not yell at them, be nice and be honest and say, ?there?s going to be some consequences but, we?re going to deal with this and get you the help you need?,? said Newman.

His words were echoed by Darwin, one of the youth featured in Newman?s film.

?You want to let your kids know that you?re their support group,? said Darwin. ?You?ve got to be understanding.?

?All the money that I was making was just going towards drugs. I lost money, friends, respect of family,? he added.

Darwin imagines his life would be much different today if it wasn?t for drugs and says he?d probably have a lot more to show for himself today had he stayed clean.

?I have a lot more to show for myself now that I?m not on drugs,? he said. Darwin thinks he would have made better choices when it came to drugs had he seen a copy of Newman?s film.

Newman says society often labels people, especially youth, as useless, without really looking at the root causes of the problem. He isn?t looking to point the finger, but rather to show people a reality, even though they may not like to see it.

?A lot of people come from stable families, but I know youth who?ve been kicked out of their homes at age 10 or 11. I know youth whose parents were alcoholics and drug addicts and handed them drugs at a young age.?

Newman says he recalls playing with He-Man toys when he was 10 years old, a stark contrast to what some kids were faced with at an early age.

Newman is urging the community to see his film and says he will be presenting a plan to the school board encouraging schools to show it to their students. He?s even created a teacher?s manual that accompanies the movies and would like to bring in people like Darwin to speak with students and answer their questions.

?I was inspired by the youth to create this video, and they will now go on to inspire other youth and parents that will watch this video,? said Newman.

?Inspire them to not only think outside the box about drugs and educate themselves about drugs, but maybe to make a difference in other people?s lives.?

What We?ve Learned: A Youth Perspective of Drug Misuse is available for sale in DVD format at the Sudbury Action Centre for Youth for $20. The DVD features interactive menus and additional information about various drugs, how they work and the effects they can have on the body.

For more information, phone 673-4396.


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