NARCOTICS PIT OF DESPAIR

[Music] since time began the snake has been symbolic of evil destruction death out of the slime and darkness it comes to inflict its life-destroying poison on the careless the unwary the unprotected no sane person would deliberately expose himself to its venom no intelligent person would venture within striking distance of its fangs yet today thousands of young people are flirting with a poison every bit as deadly as that of the snake [Music] [Music] [Music] one of the potentials for illegal drug traffic is the school here the connection can be found with these peddlers of misery who prey on the unwary the uninformed the curious the thrill seekers most young people will continue through life as normal responsible citizen others the shunted and unloved the unguided the seekers of thrills and kicks are candidates for the slave world of lifelong drug addiction but no one is immune how does it happen where does it start what are the signs the pattern is generally the same take a lack of responsibility the inability to make right choices add to it ignorance and indifference and top it off with a desire for escapism and kicks the sum total is then conceivably found in the bennies the reefer the pop needle [Music] take john scott he'd be the first to laugh at the thought of his being hooked sure before the last exam he took a couple of bennies to pep him up but so what everybody knows a couple can't do any harm what he should have known is that not only are barbiturates dangerous to his nervous system but they destroy the inner resources he has now to overcome the obstacles of daily life but he's too busy with his girl his car his sports the little problems he has don't seem too important he knows he's failing in english and on the borderline and man but he's not really worried he knows he'll be okay on the next exam sure he'd be willing to come for extra instruction on saturday but saturday's his practice day he's doing well in track and he feels he will do better with more training and practice he might even get to represent the school in the state finals but word has come down that his grades aren't too good unless he pulls them up he can be put off the team a normal enough problem with a normal enough solution hit the books a little harder get a little help and pull them up it will mean giving up some fun and weekends but he knows he can do it if necessary he can cram a few days before the exam and even pep himself up on benny's he handled him before and he knows where to draw the line he knows he'll never go beyond that step but someone else knows john has taken his first step toward drugs someone who is willing to help him take the second and the third and the fourth steps where eventually he becomes a member of that tight society of drug addicts john it seems perfectly natural and innocent to bump into an old classmate he hasn't seen pete since he dropped out of school last year from the looks of him he seems to be doing well on his out of town selling job what john doesn't know is the selling job is pushing dope and the long absence from town was spent in the state prison their accidental meeting calls for a little celebration and pete has just the thing there's a little private party going on tonight plenty of fun and laughs take a break from the books and live a little it sounds good but today's his father's day off and john needs his help with some school problems if there's another party sometime maybe he can make it then but pete isn't interested in some time or maybe or squares if you want to swing call him right now he's got to split he's got to find fish ready to be hooked victims to supply him with money for the heroin he needs today and tomorrow and tomorrow [Music] compared to peace problems john's are nothing poor grades expulsion from the team the frustrations and responsibilities of growing up seem important only to himself all he needs is a little help a little guidance a little understanding but the help the guidance the understanding are not there when he needs it his parents are away just when he was counting on them to be home his problems must wait for tomorrow or he can solve them tonight alone [Music] only he can go just so far alone during his childhood he was loved helped protected suddenly that's all gone now he's in a man's body he's expected to be a man to stand alone on his own two feet this he will gladly do but he needs a little push he needs someone to help him over the hump of school work that's troubling him [Music] today he's had it the studies can wait until tomorrow he knows he can finish them then what he doesn't know is behavior habits formed long ago are now taking over the practice of putting things off making excuses jerking unpleasant tasks is strongly etched in his character it's saturday night and everyone else is out having fun it's the best excuse in the world to join the party [Music] so to john the party is swinging just the thing he needs to pep him up the stage is set the principal players are in position the curtain is up john doesn't realize it but he has just been cast as the star fall guy in a real life tragedy [Music] [ __ ] [Music] the exertion of the dance the excitement of helen and several beers have taken effect inhibition and caution are forgotten when helen suggests they have a few more beers he's all for it why not everyone else is doing it to refuse would be square and that terrible label must be avoided at all costs besides he's never been high on it before and he never will he can handle the stuff [Music] the only trouble is he can't handle so much under the influence of the beer helen comes through is much more friendly he's flattered by her attentions and her interest in him if he could see her arms scarred by the needle marks he would know she's a hype if he could see her police record he would know she works for pete pete and helen know their parts well they've been through it before and they know the time is right throw out the sucker bait it's time for the next step the next step is the garage there some of the gang are really blasting that's where the real action is come on and take a look take a trip from squaresville live a little and see what it's like for yourself the senses are dulled just enough to be reckless helen the music the beer the promise of excitement press in on him now curiosity has to be satisfied and why not it can't do any harm to look [Music] m this is the real action the pot party the trippers the grasshoppers the hip ones all gathered in secrecy and flying high as a kite outside the boundaries of their phony world of kicks is the ever-present possibility of discovery this must be avoided at all costs for discovery brings with it the penalties of society shame arrest prison so destroy the evidence leave not a trace burn it in paper trash that way they can deny possessing the illegal marijuana they can say the flaming can is part of a game they can lie they can swear this time the gang's lucky it's not the law or discovery or problems it's just their supplier pete with his number one chick and a new guy looking for kicks forget it man and get with the countdown shake this square world and blast off for kicksville to john his first pot party looks exciting everyone seems to be having fun best of all there are no parents no other adults no one to interfere with the fun [Music] [Applause] [Music] the feeling of importance of belonging of putting one over is taking hold pete intends to tighten that hole to squeeze it to hook it to lock it in now is the time to introduce the joints but pete has learned the rules well a pusher can never be caught with the stuff on him instead he must leave it get it from a flunky [Music] this is the test the time to separate the man from the board john's will power individuality character are slipping down the drain in their place come the old behavior habits and excuses everybody else is doing it if he can handle bennies and beer he should be able to handle a few harmless puffs just to see what it's like the natural defenses are crumbling the barriers of caution are beaten down drag it man try anything once fly you can't get a habit from weed quit whenever you like don't be chicken come on man [Music] get with it under the proddings of the gang the effects of the atmosphere and beer the desire to belong he chooses to go along john surrenders his dignity and lays his future on the chopping block not whether it's good or bad or right or wrong but if he stopped to think he would see the stupidity of it all now he's too involved to think he's having kicks he's away and flying up up out of this world [Music] but everything that goes up must come down when john came down he landed with a thud due to the effects of the alcohol in the late hours at the party the following day he was too tired too sick to study now facing another school day he finds the same problems the same responsibilities are still with him as well as arguments traffic violations and as the days go by he looks for more kicks more escape from the troubles he brings on himself each time he feels the need for kicks or he's troubled he returns to marijuana he knows that marijuana isn't physically addicting he doesn't know he's become psychologically dependent on it but he's not worried he knows he can handle it in time the continued use of marijuana causes psychic and physiological changes in his body while under the influence of marijuana his blood pressure increases he feels unusual hunger and his central nervous system changes his perception of depth and dimensions is radically changed a low curb appears as a precipice with a distortion of sight and sound time is suspended fast action appears slow the whole world is distorted when the big blow comes the world caves in being put off the team leaves him angry resentful humiliated he's sinking into the pit of despair and he needs help to pull himself out but where should he look for it who should he ask the coach won't give him a break the teacher ah he's already failed him so why keep on with studies his parents they don't understand anything religion what a laugh that would give the gang those resources and others are available to him but he thinks only a pal can help help split this square world help him forget everything and everybody he's been dragging the weed now long enough to want to try a bigger kick in his present frame of mind the bigger the better psychologically he's ready to make the big c his pals have introduced new props and he's anxious to examine them caution intelligence normal defenses go up in pot smoke hank is a real hype a hooked mainliner beyond hope he is long past getting any kicks from marijuana his body is conditioned to heroin one of the most powerful dangerous drugs known to man so dangerous that its importation even for medical uses has been banned in the united states since 1925. every day the cost of his habit rises eighty dollars ninety dollars a hundred dollars a day and more every day he must have increasing amounts of the drug to get it he will lie steal murder even trap the innocent the outfit that he uses is the drug addict's only friend with it he can exist in his living hell until the next fix without it he will suffer the unbearable tortures of withdrawal from the drug to prepare the venom for his bloodstream he empties heroin onto the spoon every grain is precious and cannot be spilled or wasted [Music] a few drops of water are added to make a [Music] solution then the small wad of cotton usually dirty is placed on the spoon to serve as a filter the solution is then drawn through the cotton filter and into the needle this cotton is saved and used again and again or if the addict is ever caught without the drug he can cook the cottons and squeeze out a small amount this is it then the big time the main line the high point of every drug addict's existence of every thousand heights who ride the toboggan to hell only a few ever get on of course pete is careful not to let john see the actual needle pop that is hidden ignored bypassed instead only the fun the kicks the real blast is played up the tourniquet is quickly tied and secured the vein is enlarged [Music] the hype is ready all sanitary precautions are ignored and normal hygiene protections are out all addicts run the risk of infecting themselves with tetanus hepatitis venereal and other diseases but in a race with time to stop withdrawal he doesn't think of such things right now all that matters is the dirty needle the germ-infested cotton the poisonous drug by now john is psychologically ready for stronger drugs to his confused brain the idea of joining hank in a bigger kick is highly enticing it would be all right to try it just once just to see what it's really like the only thing is the ugly looking needle the vague uncertain fear of maybe getting hooked his pal laughs at his fear of a little needle a small pop doesn't hurt it only makes you fly besides only squares get hooked the hit guys are just occasional users you blast every once in a while and quit whenever you like a few pops now and then can't possibly hurt the idea of a real kick without getting hooked takes hold john isn't afraid and he certainly isn't square the chain reaction has reached the end of the line he's handled alcohol goofballs marijuana now he's positive he can handle one little pop [Music] but something seems to have gone wrong the excuse of it can't happen to me was all right for the first pop and the second and the third but the more heroin he shoots the more tolerance his body builds and the more he needs he needs a shot now and he needs it badly but this is the last one after he's feeling better he'll quit never touch the stuff again so hank immediately recognizes the withdrawal symptoms in john nervousness nausea watering eyes running nose too bad but his pal pete isn't around to fix him up hank needs every grain he has for his own fix there's nothing to do but wait till pete comes with more stuff in the meantime sweat it out pal you wanted kicks now pay the price [Music] at first it all seemed like such harmless fun it was hip to go along with the gang but where's the gang now why aren't they with him when he needs the most too late he realizes that by joining to belong he's more alone than ever this is the one trip he must take all alone only he himself can experience the unbearable agony of withdrawal ultimately he will feel chills and burns violent muscular cramps will rack his tortured body he will vomit and then wretch in uncontrollable convulsions the agony will reach its peak in 36 to 72 hours then continue for two more weeks in the meantime he must obey the rules of the drug addict's world of secrecy his screams of pain can bring discoveries worst of all they can bring the law and forcible denial of the hell drug addicts must have so cool it cut it strangle it in the jungle land of narcotics it's fight claw kill and every man for himself the demons of withdrawal pains have increased their torture they run rampant through his body and prepare to multiply themselves hundreds of times again ironically the only relief from his demons is through the very poison that originally hooked him the same heroin that will bind him ever more tightly to his living hell but the blessed temporary delivery is not given through any noble charitable motives it's just the final step in pete's carefully laid plan he's made another junkie and another source of money now with the hook in deep he twists it to make sure the victim will never get away now that john has experienced the horrors of withdrawal he will make sure he gets his junk every day his pal pete will be glad to supply him but only for money plenty of money for in the vicious racket that preys on human misery there is no trust no credit no mercy it's cash on the line for the unbearable agony of withdrawal how to get the money presents tremendous problems to secure this money john must now do things he would never dream of doing before he was hooked first he sold his wristwatch then his hi-fi today it's his mother's best silverware although always pressed for more and more money to support his habit john must preserve outward appearances every day he must go through the motions the pretense of living a normal life no one must ever know he's a hopeless junkie but the law enforcement officers ever alert to the deadly drug traffic are about to know helen the swinger the hip chick of the gang has been picked up for shoplifting in a downtown store her previous arrests for shoplifting and prostitution her addiction to narcotics weigh heavily against her but the shame the stigma the prison sentence she faces are of secondary importance now her immediate problem is getting another fix to hold off the terrible withdrawals [Music] in police custody she knows a fix is impossible so she will settle for the next best thing and cooperate with the law she will sell the gang her friends her soul for the help she needs to face the coming withdrawal tortures swiftly acting on her lead the forces of the law strike back and another small tentacle of the drug octopus is cut off but the infected victims still go on with a police record to haunt him as long as he lives john uses the leniency of the law sometimes allowed first offenders so he enters a government hospital for the very best treatment modern science can give months later the agony of withdrawals the care the treatments are behind him now that he's kicked the habit he can try to pick up the pieces of his broken life i wonder if pete and hank are out of prison it won't do any harm to stop by and just say hello [Music] you