H: THE STORY OF A TEEN AGE DRUG ADDICT

[Music] introducing Dr Lester C spear for 9 years chairman of the New York County Medical society's narcotics committee you about to see the presentation of the case history of a typical teenage dope addict children during the Adolescent period are excellent prey for dope pedlers there has been an alarming increase in teenage addiction this problem is worthy of all the support that you as an individual citizen can give to it for tomorrow it may be your personal problem your family [Music] problem [Applause] what am I doing in this hospital [Music] bed how did I get here [Music] I feel like I'm shaking aart you were right maroin why didn't I listen to you we had so much fun together remember remember the good times in the park on Sundays we'd sit and dream the hours would slip by so quickly that before we knew it was time to go home so late we walked back from the park thought maybe I'd Sav the carof your father was here this afternoon he wants to take you to dinner well he's wasting his time why didn't you go soon you treated us pretty roughly mom I've got a long memory so don't worry Mom soon as I graduate high school I'll take care of us we won't need his or anyone's help one school morning was like the next mom would leave a cold breakfast for me before she went to work why didn't something different ever happen to me I wondered what the other kids at school did that was different but how about it GE I'd like to but I ain't got the loot today look I tell you what you do take another another bunch and sell them to the other kids that way you'll have money for yourself I'll Trust you thanks in the school locker room after gym period Roy caught hold of me what's the big idea Roy get hit man I've got some stuff it'll do you a lot of good and it won't cost you anything either I'm wait for cl leave me alone don't put me down man let's make it together this little old they will pick you up it's good for what out here the mother time I'm not interested well how many did you spell today not many keep D some interested didn't I tell you how to do it get one kid that the rest of them like get him smoking it and the whole school will be Goen yeah I tried that today I had a kid named Bill Daniels but he's strict CLE Square you leave him to me get up to the pad sometime I'll do the [Music] rest I worked afternoons and all day Saturday in Wilson's hardware [Music] store you'll have to stay tonight though we taking inventory but I've got a date tonight can't wait till tomorrow [Music] by the time I finished it was late hello Mrs Stanley hello Bill I'm sorry I'm late I got tied up at work Mar I thought you did so she went to a movie with a girlfriend that's too bad I'll tell her you were here okay thanks everyone had some place to go that evening but me hi you man what alone Saturday night yeah my friend loaned me his car going to a party going to pick up a couple of girls want to come along sure I've got nothing better to do the party was held in someone's apartment I was introduced to Moose and he seemed like a great [Music] guy everyone was laughing and having a good time some big fella came over and started to talk to me he offered me a cigarette it seemed like a regular [Music] pack I took you Puffs and things began to get fuzzy and move in slow motion the big guy and everyone else was laughing at me [Music] when moose came over I was [Music] scared from the looks of the place had plenty of dough say you fight well thanks have a fight much before yeah I was short as a kid I didn't have much Choice why thr your hand at yourself I can get you a trainer then you can fight for me you're kidding does this look like I'm kidding $50 a week is the start and a lot more later if you [Music] smart how do you know I'd be any good in a ring I'll take a chance I began to feel sick coming off a bit huh I'm knocked off here pick one of these it don't pick you up all right why not if moo said it was all [Music] right I told you Bill smokes him well I guess it Bill smokes him they're okay sure Bill's head didn't you see him with moose okay give me a couple Marilyn didn't like the idea that I dropped school but I'd made up my mind to give it a [Music] try I guess that was the beginning of the end for me I was smoking reos regularly now only one a day wasn't enough to keep me happy but I didn't think anything of it I could hear mom coughing at night and I was determined to send her away to a sanatorium where she could get well I was training at the neighborhood gym under the watchful eyes of [Music] moose by the third week I had enough money to send my mother away to a s [Music] atorium by then I knew that moose took heroin or H as it's called and the adct can't stand being around anyone who doesn't take the stuff so one night after the others had left well this is it kid here's your chance to be a real helpster like me I'd rather not just a little Joy pop a little Kake try it once no look kid are you traveling with us or not well I'd try anything once the night of my first fight my arms felt like clay the other guy made hamburger out of [Applause] [Music] me that evening at the pad I stayed off by myself the whole side of my face burned like [Music] [Music] fire I thought maybe I'd feel better if I put a cold compress on it [Music] then I found Moose's hypo in a capsule of AG I thought a shot of the stuff would help cool that burning in my [Music] face a while later it hit [Music] me moose thought something was wrong in my haste I had taken an overdose of the stuff enough to kill me if someone didn't help moose knew he had to act quickly in order to revive [Music] me I was grateful to him but after that close brush with death I decided to quit drugs [Music] I went back to my old job I was plenty proud when I got my first week's pay and eager to see Marilyn [Music] again Vu is Marilyn home Mar Papa don't the Stanley live here the Stanley move away I found out later that Maryland's folks had moved to another city I had lost touch with my old friends at school I was lonely [Music] I missed the good times of the pad is your boss around no it's okay how many caps do you want give me 20 for tomorrow and here a three for yourself gee thanks how you man where are you keeping yourself oh I kicked got Square on yeah I guess so how's moose got a little hot for him he had to leave town how are the other guys at the P why don't you come up and find out for yourself okay I think I will I was taking H [Music] again I kept telling myself that I was too smart now to let the stuff get the best of me me that I could stop anytime I wanted [Music] to one morning I was shaking so hard I couldn't stand up I'd forgotten to take my shot of H the night before then I knew I was hooked that I couldn't live without the [Music] stuff the drug was expensive I needed money [Music] badly my mother came back from the sanatorium unexpectedly [Music] now at the hospital they were taking the drug out of my system withdrawal they call [Music] it you holler and scream with pain and no one can help after the withdrawal two social workers from the hospital came to see me Bill this is the most important point in your life you have to decide which way you want to go no one can make the decision for you the doctors can withdraw the drug from your system but they can't cure the yearning for the stuff inside of you that can kill you the best thing you can do is to help others keep away from it think it over call if you ever need us we'll be glad to help anytime but we can't help you unless you want to help yourself I didn't trust them what did they stand to gain when I was released from in the hospital I walked the streets nothing had changed only I had changed changed so that I thought I could never return to normal life again I felt like a stranger I was afraid I wanted to go back to drugs [Applause] [Music] [Music] B when did you get back who I'm your friend I'll share it with [Music] you are you stupid [ __ ] you're a friend of mine I only used you put you saved my life I don't want no dead guy on my hand [Music] I didn't want to end up like moose the social workers said to call information my only chance for a new way of life was at the other end of that [Music] telephone