Black Tar Heroin: The Dark End of the Street

This is the best anti-drug movie ever. Unlike the many movies that have been made about drugs, that can't help ladling pyrotechnics and playing up the "glory", this movie shows hard drug use for what it is - thoroughly dehumanizing. Enter at your own risk.

If anyone is wondering about updates for those who were filmed, check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBhDnVY0f08

I am a documentary lover and while I do not do drugs myself. Docs about different drugs have always fascinated me and is probably a good reason of why I will never try them. I think Black Tar is a great documentary for teens to watch. I live in Montana and meth has been a huge problem for us. Many highschoolers are now doing meth at parties instead of smoking pot or drinking. They need to be educated about all drugs so that they make educated decisions about what they are willing to "try" that could and most likely will lead to addiction and/or death.

It was hard to watch the needles in the beginning. Needles in the arm. Neddles in the foot. In the neck. Then the needles stopped mattering. It got hard to watch the users. You end up realizing that these addicts are people, not just dirty bodies walking the streets. You can figure out why these people cannot stop. You see that they made a mistake a long time ago and that mistake held on. All of their friends are part of that mistake. Who do you go to when your trying to fix a mistake? Your friends. Notice how this won't work. This film makes you see these people as people. The types that have to sleep on sidewalks. Find this film and watch it.

After seeing this documentary, I, like most people, wondered what the fate of those featured was. WELL, surprisingly enough, I was at the dog park today in Portland, Oregon and noticed a familiar face. It was none other than Alice, the punk rock girl from the movie! I found it hard to believe that it was really her, so I went up and talked to her and sure enough, it was! I guess she moved here 6 years ago and has been clean ever since! She told me that they were talking about doing a 'where are they now?' follow-up, but it never happened. I guess the lesbian girl who was working as a sex worker with HIV has since died, but most people are up to the same old. . .sad, but nice to know at the same time. People make choices, you know. Seeing her gave me hope. Thanks for taking the time to talk to me Alice, wherever u are.

xo sigrun

In an attempt to do the impossible, Black Tar Heroin... is an insiders look into the life of a Heroin addict. This commentary on youth in San Francisco which are involved with Heroin, among other things, is a graphic display of society's problems. Though the movie at some points is to grotesque to watch, it is necessary to show for the value.

Every youth in society as they reach their teen years should be made to watch this movie. It is in the mind of this viewer that many of teenagers would be turned off enough, never to attempt this lifestyle.