Question about Drug USe

A

arowe214

Member
so i am planning to do a short doc about meth drug use and im filming a person and i was gonna more than likely want a scene of her using or prepping ..is there any legalities around this. anything i should be concerned about when showing the identity and showing the drug use since its illegal drug use. i see docs like this all the time and think why dont the police just hold up the camera crew and make bust. wasnt sure if there is some special situation or release form for this
 
Legally, as long as you do not assist or supply - you've simply just recorded somebody doing something stupid and illegal. Not sure of US law, but here it would be bad form to encourage them (I think we call it aiding and abetting). Personally, I'd avoid a project like this one.
 
I would worry more about the unpredictable behavior of a paranoid meth user than I would about law enforcement. I don't know the full legalities of it, I would ask a lawyer, and keep their card on you just in case.
 
i know her personally im not so much worried about my safety ... i mean i am but i think ill be ok .. but i do agree with the idea of not pushing or promoting it .. i want to be cautious in how i handle it . i dont want to exploit but i want her to tell her story on life after meth.. but thanks for the advice fellas .
 
arowe214 said:
i know her personally im not so much worried about my safety ... i mean i am but i think ill be ok .. but i do agree with the idea of not pushing or promoting it .. i want to be cautious in how i handle it . i dont want to exploit but i want her to tell her story on life after meth.. but thanks for the advice fellas .
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Legally, you're OK as long as you're just filming. The idea is to tell the story without encouraging or discouraging.Since you know her there is a moral issue that you may or may not be concerned with. It's always possible the short could be used as evidence in a case against her. You might consider staging any use (She can use them off camera) and then concentrating on telling her story.
 
A documentary was done about a set of heroin users on the streets of San Francisco that was broadcast on PBS. They followed the users for 2 years including a jail sentence and return to the drug after their sentence. They showed details of use including looking for veins all over their bodies as the veins became unuseable including legs, abdomen, and hand areas.

It was a fascinating piece. It was many years ago. I don't recall the name of it.

The TV show Intervention shows all kinds of addictions and their use. So there is plenty of precedence for this.
 
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If you were filming an actual robbery or violent crime vs. calling 911, the moral and legal issues would be more complex. "Failing to render aid" and "leaving the scene" are things that can come up in court. There's just so much precedence for documenting self-destructive behavior, which in most cases is morally OK if being done to educate rather than titillate.
 
I'm not sure how I would feel if I was watching another human being (and one that I formed some type of 'attachment' to) decline to the point of nothing. If death were to occur, it might scar me psychologically. I would err on the side of caution and drop the camera and give help to that person.

Dave
 
yea guys because its someone i know .. not exactly close with but close enough... i have been wrestling with the project. of how to attack it . i was reading ideas of faking some of the use .. you know b-rolling some staged scenes and clever cut aways .. because a part of me doesnt want to see her do the **** or have that burned into my mind of basically seeing an addict abuse. but as far as the story telling she is such a positive natured person and the drugs is not the problem as much as she is the problem . she gets in her own way . so my mentality or pitch is that it can be a therapy for her but then i flip that coin and say that that sentiment is bs because i also want to grab a great story for my own career gain. i think i can tell a great story but at the same time i dont want put my self in a bad legal situation (which is why im considering mock b-rolls lord forbid there is a bust the day im filming and i get caught in it), i dont want to cause a bad safety situation where she gets out of control in her emotion, and want to be careful of making an exploitation piece..

so im battling the my morals and my ability to create. i want to find the right balance which i think is important becuase it will influence the way i shoot it.. i plan to actually shoot her all in a day since reliability isnt certain for these type of people.
 
arowe214 said:
yea guys because its someone i know .. not exactly close with but close enough... i have been wrestling with the project. of how to attack it . i was reading ideas of faking some of the use .. you know b-rolling some staged scenes and clever cut aways .. because a part of me doesnt want to see her do the s*%t or have that burned into my mind of basically seeing an addict abuse. but as far as the story telling she is such a positive natured person and the drugs is not the problem as much as she is the problem . she gets in her own way . so my mentality or pitch is that it can be a therapy for her but then i flip that coin and say that that sentiment is bs because i also want to grab a great story for my own career gain. i think i can tell a great story but at the same time i dont want put my self in a bad legal situation (which is why im considering mock b-rolls lord forbid there is a bust the day im filming and i get caught in it), i dont want to cause a bad safety situation where she gets out of control in her emotion, and want to be careful of making an exploitation piece..

so im battling the my morals and my ability to create. i want to find the right balance which i think is important becuase it will influence the way i shoot it.. i plan to actually shoot her all in a day since reliability isnt certain for these type of people.
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Here is what I would do…..just set up a simple interview. Ask her basic questions. Then let her watch it right after you record it.
Then you might have your answer.
 
^^^ good idea

but as no real suprise she has came up missing the day before shooting aint heard from here since ..im reserving my disappointment till its confirmed she is not in a ditch somewhere .. but thanks for all the feedback
 
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