Topic: Society

Understanding Addiction: Heroin – Heroin, and opioids in general, are considered by many to be the most dangerous illegal drugs, and yearly statistics reflect this view. It is also one of the most addictive and difficult drugs to stop using. Simon had a difficult childhood and used heroin to escape from his emotional trauma, but as his tolerance increased so did his dependency and his willingness to break the law in order to get more of the drug. It led to homelessness and a near death experience. But with the right help, he turned his life around. Watch him share his story now.

There are three fact sheets and three lesson plans that you can use alongside the nine addiction films, which includes the introduction film, seven interviews (each focused on a different type of addiction) and a law film. Please also read the attached guidance and teacher notes that offer support and resources for young people who may already be experiencing addiction in their lives or homes.

If you are affected by any of the content on screen or would like to know more, please visit the website of St George’s Crypt who help hundreds of people like Simon all year round. They are based in Leeds. Other similar services can be found across the UK if you search online.

https://www.helpfordependency.co.uk/

https://www.stgeorgescrypt.org.uk/

https://www.drugsand.me/en/

Understanding Addiction: Heroin

Video length - 05.11

Published date - Sep 2021

Keystage(s) - 3, 4 and 5

Understanding Addiction: Gambling – Danny grew up with a positive culture of gambling, but a lot has changed since he was younger, and gambling can now be accessed far more easily – not just due to an increase in high-street bookmakers, but also because of the enormous surge in online options. What started as a bit of fun in his late teens spiralled into an addiction that put him in £50,000 of debt and led to suicidal thoughts. At the root of his dependency was the need to escape the trauma of losing his mum to cancer. Now he is debt-free thanks to the help of a community he fostered, an app that can block him making payments on gambling sites, and advice from charities. Watch him share his story now.

If you are affected by any of the content on screen or would like to know more, gambling addiction has been recognised since 2013 as an affliction equal to drug and alcohol dependency – there are a number of NHS linked clinics and UK wide charities that can help people struggling with it.

https://www.helpfordependency.co.uk/

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/gambling-addiction/

https://www.gamcare.org.uk/

https://www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk/https://gordonmoody.org.uk/

https://www.gmmh.nhs.uk/news/nhs-gambling-addiction-service-for-north-of-england-3379/

Understanding Addiction: Gambling

Video length - 05.36

Published date - Sep 2021

Keystage(s) - 3, 4 and 5

Understanding Addiction: Alcohol – Sarah (not her real name) had a positive upbringing with a close family unit, and she excelled at primary school. But when she started secondary school, she started getting bullied and decided to bully those people right back. It led her down a dark path, mixing with the wrong crowds and letting her school work slide. Then she started drinking alcohol, and things got much, much worse. But with the right help, she turned her life around. Watch her share her story now. Her film is unique in the series: Sarah didn’t want to tell her story on camera, so her exact words are voiced by an actor and portrayed on screen via animation (by Anh Cao).

If you are affected by any of the content on screen or would like to know more, please visit the website of charity We Are With You, who are based across the UK.

https://www.helpfordependency.co.uk/

https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk/

https://www.drugsand.me/en/

Understanding Addiction: Alcohol

Video length - 07.44

Published date - Sep 2021

Keystage(s) - 3, 4 and 5

Understanding Addiction: Cannabis – Cannabis is the most popular illegal drug in the UK, and smoking it before the age of 18 is particularly dangerous for your mental health, as Dean testifies in this film. He began smoking it when he was only 12 years old, and it contributed to numerous psychological issues. But with the right help, he turned his life around. Watch him share his story now.

If you are affected by any of the content on screen or would like to know more, please visit these websites:

https://www.helpfordependency.co.uk/

https://www.drugsand.me/en/

Understanding Addiction: Cannabis

Video length - 04.52

Published date - Sep 2021

Keystage(s) - 3, 4 and 5

Downloadable resources

Understanding Addiction: Steroids – Jack was bullied as a child and experienced traumas at home that made him want to bulk up and get muscular. He also enjoyed the attention of the opposite sex and having strangers comment on his physique. But he could never get big enough and soon became emotionally dependent on steroids. But with the right help, he turned his life around. Watch him share his story now.

If you are affected by any of the content on screen or would like to know more, please visit the website of the Alcohol and Drug Service, run in conjunction with the NHS, who operate The Juice Bar in the Hull area. Other similar services can be found across the UK if you search online.

https://www.helpfordependency.co.uk/

http://www.ads-uk.org/thejuicebar

https://www.drugsand.me/en/

Understanding Addiction: Steroids

Video length - 05.55

Published date - Sep 2021

Keystage(s) - 3, 4 and 5

Understanding Addiction: Prescription Drugs – Paul started experiencing pains in his hip due to a medical condition when he was only 14. He was prescribed codeine but as his tolerance grew and the pain worsened, he moved on to morphine. But his usage went far beyond what doctors recommended, and he experienced a series of tragedies that he wanted to mask. This led to him becoming dependent on opioids. But with the right help, he turned his life around. Watch him share his story now.

If you are affected by any of the content on screen or would like to know more, please visit the website of charity We Are With You, who are based across the UK. Paul says they saved his life.

https://www.helpfordependency.co.uk/

https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk/

https://www.drugsand.me/en/

Understanding Addiction: Prescription Drugs

Video length - 06.06

Published date - Sep 2021

Keystage(s) - 3, 4 and 5

Understanding Addiction – The first film in our series of nine is an introduction to the concept of addiction, explaining the science behind it, presenting key words, and featuring select moments from interviews with seven people who have each been exposed to a different type of addiction. This film covers the original reasons why their addictions spiralled, the effects on the individuals and their loved ones, and how recovery saved their lives.

If you are affected by any of the content on screen, or would like to know more, please visit the websites of the various charities and organisations who helped bring these films to life:

https://www.helpfordependency.co.uk/

https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk/

https://www.stgeorgescrypt.org.uk/

http://www.ads-uk.org/thejuicebar

https://adfam.org.uk/

https://www.drugsand.me/en/

https://www.collectivevoice.org.uk/

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/drug-addiction-getting-help/

http://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/

Understanding Addiction

Video length - 08.24

Published date - Sep 2021

Keystage(s) - 3, 4 and 5

Rise Up 5: Tyler – Tyler’s story concludes the Rise Up short films, showing our four young climate activists being interviewed by Tyler, now a professional journalist reporting in 2025 from a climate summit. In the interviews, they each give advice to their younger selves.

This short film is part of the Rise Up series at the centre of How Will You Reboot the Future? – a campaign by Reboot the Future empowering educators to start new conversations on the climate crisis and support young people to take action.

To download the accompanying teaching guide, as well as the inspiration behind the films, a new novella by Jonathon Porritt, visit www.globaldimension.org.uk/resources/campaign-tyler

Rise Up 5: Tyler

Video length - 05.36

Published date - May 2021

Keystage(s) - 4 and 5

Rise Up 4: Jay – Jay’s story splits into three different timelines as we follow a teenager whose various approaches to speaking up and acting on the climate crisis are each effective in their own way.

To download the accompanying teaching guide, as well as the inspiration behind the films, a new novella by Jonathon Porritt, visit www.globaldimension.org.uk/resources/campaign-jay

Rise Up 4: Jay

Video length - 05.03

Published date - May 2021

Keystage(s) - 4 and 5

Rise Up 3: Jamal – Jamal’s story, told through the lens of his friend Tyler’s handheld camcorder, features a school student in inner-city London with a love of growing and cooking his own food, and a dream of becoming a chef.

To download the accompanying teaching guide, as well as the inspiration behind the films, a new novella by Jonathon Porritt, visit www.globaldimension.org.uk/resources/campaign-ja