Drinking Games, Alcohol Abuse and Overdose

Awards

CINE Golden Eagle Award

Silver Telly Award

Reviews

Medical professionals, police, parents, and youth discuss drinking games and the consequences—alcohol poisoning, overdose, and death. A young woman talks about her experience with drinking games and the regrets she has for participating. An emergency room physician defines binge drinking and explains that there is no way to distinguish between whether a person is sleeping off excessive alcohol consumption or is comatose. She advises it is best to call 911 immediately. The police chief of Panama City, Florida, describes the dangers of alcohol consumption to young people who descend on the city for spring break. The worst consequences of teen alcohol abuse, alcohol poisoning and death, is remembered by a mother and father of a young teen whose first and last experience with alcohol was a drinking game at a friend’s home. The program concludes on a positive note, describing a new policy at Pitzer College in Claremont, California, that bans drinking games on campus. Several of the students describe the fun they have participating in activities that do not include alcohol. Supplemental materials include a complete curriculum, pre- and post-tests, student activities, and a list of supplemental resources. The program is nicely balanced with statements from young people and adult experts and succeeds in presenting information to discourage drinking games in a convincing manner.

- Ann Weber, Bellarmine College Prep., San Jose, CA
School Library Journal
Offering a no-nonsense examination of binge drinking that debunks the perception among teenagers that it is a socially acceptable activity, Drinking Games, Alcohol Abuse & Overdose delivers a blunt message” Drinking games are really about getting drunk, and drunk is about getting hurt.” This guidance film combines dramatic re-creations with interviews of: parents and friends of a 15-year-old who died as a result of a drinking game, law enforcement and medical professionals, and a teen who shares insights gained from her own experiences. Viewers will understand the possible consequences of “just a few drinks,” including the destruction of not only the victims’ lives but those whose care about them—levying a terrible emotional toll on friends, siblings and parents, as well as professional personnel who have to be the messengers. Encouraging awareness while also offering advice on what to do if a potentially dangerous situation arises, the film also incorporates comments from students at a college that has both explicitly banned drinking games on campus and provided social opportunities for students who choose not to drink. Bundled with a solid accompanying curriculum—encouraging critical assessment of popular culture, while also discussing other consequences (legal and monetary) of teen drinking—this is recommended.

- E. Gieschen
Video Librarian

Recommended  Through an effective mixture of testimony from experts and those with personal experience, this film shows the horrors of what can happen when binge drinking turns deadly. An emergency room doctor, the chief of police of a Florida city, and researchers from the Adolescent Brain Imaging Project lend credence and gravity to this subject. They do not sugarcoat the topic, but give compelling and serious information on what drinking games are, the effects of peer pressure, why young people take part in these games, the process of drunkenness, the dangers of binge drinking, and the legal and physical consequences.
The parents of a 15-year-old boy who died playing drinking games provide highly emotional testimony as they tell the story of the worst night of their lives and the years since. In addition, a young girl talks about her experiences as a teenager with binge drinking and the shame and unhappiness it brought her. These true-life stories underline the human cost in very stark terms to supplement what the experts have said. In addition, students at a college that has banned drinking games give their opinions on why this has worked on their campus.

Visuals are clear and colorful, with some recreations of scenes in black-and-white, which adds to the mood. The sound underscores the drama, with special effects and music.

While this program has elements of the "scared straight" technique, it could very well influence teens who are convinced by the doctor's no-nonsense approach to the facts or by the raw emotional stories of the grieving parents. This film would be an excellent addition to any junior high, high school, or college media collection. It would be useful for classroom discussions in health classes. Church or community youth groups might also consider using this for programs on the topic. Public libraries may also consider purchase so it is available to teens and parents.

Included on the disk is a PDF file of a Teacher's Resource Book. Instructions for opening it for both PC and Mac users are included. Resources include learning objectives, suggested activities, pre/post-tests, discussion questions, and fact sheets.

Recommended

- Mary Northrup, Metropolitan Community College-Maple Woods, Kansas City, Missouri
Educational Media Reviews Online (EMRO)