JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (AP) - A southern Indiana prosecutor is showing all middle school and high school students in his county a documentary video in an attempt to discourage heroin use among youth.
The News and Tribune (https://bit.ly/2toHzek ) reports that Harrison County Prosecutor Otto Schalk and local firm Digital IT have created a documentary called “Hit of Hell.”
“I’m a firm believer that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” Schalk said. “And I think that’s especially true when it comes to drug prevention.”
The film has been viewed nearly 40,000 times since it was posted online in May. Schalk is taking the video on the road and offering screenings for free.
“We wanted to make it emotional, we wanted to make it gripping, a kind of in-your-face documentary on what you can expect if you go down the path of heroin and opiate addiction,” he said.
Schalk said he was inspired by the increase in people being prosecuted for or dying from heroin and opiates in the county over the past few years.
In Harrison County, pills are often found in middle schools and heroin is found in high schools, he said. Schalk said he hopes to use the documentary to reach out to young people before they get exposed to the drugs.
“This is not the lifestyle you want to choose,” he said. “It’s terrible - it’s dirty, it’s filthy, and you’re not going to live. If you are on heroin, you’re going to die or end up in prison for a long time.”
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Information from: News and Tribune, Jeffersonville, Ind., https://www.newsandtribune.com
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