Policing and Addiction

title Through a Blue Lens
description A squad of seven Vancouver Police Department patrol officers carry a video camera on their beat in the skid row Downtown East Side, and interview people about their addictions. The award-winning film was made to shock school children away from trying drugs, but was also controversial with questions about filmmaker ethics, policing and privacy. The well-meaning officers talk about "addictive personalities" (doesn't exist in the DSM-IV) and not underlying causes or treatments of drug abuse, however, their view of the real effects of addiction makes this film quite powerful and unique. One woman shows off very severe (and fresh) scars from delusional parasitosis, digging into her skin at hallucinated bugs.
producer Odd Squad Productions & the National Film Board of Canada (NFB)
featuring Numerous people with addictions, and police members
format Flash
date 1999
length 00:52:13
link http://www.nfb.ca/film/through_a_blue_lens/

Tags: brain video documentary doc addiction law psychology psychosis social homelessness ethics