ABC1: 9:30pm (Melbourne)

[sew850i]

At a Melbourne rehab known as the Manor, four addicts are beginning a 28-day program that they hope will mark a new chapter in their lives. Self-confessed bad boy James wants to escape from an all-consuming drug habit that has wreaked havoc on his health and his family. Former teacher Denise wants to be rid of the gambling and alcohol addictions that have caused her financial and emotional ruin. 32-year-old Tim is addicted to an over-the-counter cough medication and now realises he

Edited July 1, 2010 by sew850i

[snooch]

Just once I'd love to see a program that shows the guy who works 10 hours a day, supports a loving wife and family, has a house and mortgage he'll be paying off for the rest of his life, takes the kids to their sport and supports them with their school work, volunteers with a charity...and happens to enjoy a beer or a joint on ocassion (or every day) to help him relax.

 

Or the group of adult friends who have an ectasy tablet or drop some acid and then go to a music concert, where they have the best time of their lives.

 

Or the mothers' group which meets at coffee shop once a week, where they sit around drinking caffeine and smoking cigarettes (ok, it's a coffee shop with tables and chairs outside!! ) while socialising.

 

Drug taking is everywhere and the vast majority of people who take drugs do not become addicts, but are normal everyday people going about their lives. Why, why, why must every show about drug use show the extreme negative end of it - ie. addiction???!!! Really grinds my gears (and I'm only basing this rant on the synopsis, haven't seen the show yet..)

[sew850i]

you're 100% snooch. if thats the case then a majority of cigarette smokers should be in rehab now because they can't go on without them or whatever. I myself love sunflower seeds ALOT, i end up telling myself i will only have one seed, just for the flavour, end up having 4 handfuls and if i dont have much to do in a day then i will have loads of sunflower seeds. what're they gonna say next? theres some oil in the seeds that tinker with my brain chemistry and its bad? so then instantly im an addict..? they can get f*cked.

[louise]

Just once I'd love to see a program that shows the guy who works 10 hours a day, supports a loving wife and family

Snooch reality tv works best when the viewer can sit back in their lazyboy and feel smug about how much better they are than the losers they are watching... whether it's watching fatties sweat off the pounds or junkies sweat out the drugs... the viewer can sit snug and comfy in their moral superiority.

 

Obviously I wont be tuning in.

[Fibrofeend]

I saw this by chance, turned on the TV after it had been going for about 10 mins i think..

 

I thought it was pretty tragic in a number of ways..

 

For starters, they were in the to get "clean" to me this means clean of everything.

Most of them are sitting around chain smoking and drinking stuff that contains caffeine.

 

They are addicts, while some of the techniques they may learn , may be helpful to a few,

thats good. Why cant we just accept they are addicts and give them what they want via prescription?

What is the point of a codeine addict going to re - hab and getting fed methadone?

The place was like a revolving door for most of them.

 

Yep another extreme presentation in the negative spectrum. keep everyone nice and topped up there.

 

We are all addicts in one way or another. People who over do lots of different things.

 

We live and die, all this stems from religious pro life BS imo. Let people live and die how they choose.

Stop trying to interfere with the natural evolution of things.

[The Hash Nibbler]

My mate just gave up Drinking after 25 years and i applaud him, but he has just replaced that addiction with on-line gaming. Which, I suppose is good in a way, it only hurts his eyes.

I agree with you guys, painting drug users in a bad light is an easy target, like shooting fish in a barrel. But plenty of us have perfectly normal lives, we just choose our drugs based on what we enjoy, not on the constraints of what the law says is a legal or illegal high. Stupid, I am totally addicted to Ice Coffee, but I can walk down the street drinking one. I am not addicted to weed but if I tried the same thing it's a big No-no. Pretty Hypocritical. Gh72

[mark601]

Totally agree what a pile of establishment propaganda shit, most of these people seem to have a mental health problem rather than a drug problem.

I can relate to heroin & alcohol addictions but cannabis addiction !

 

Well put GH72

[morphine34]

I think the distinction here is the people depicted in this program are people who are not handling their drug taking in such a way that it enhances their life but rather fucks everything up for them. I mean look at the poor guy who drives around melbourne all day getting cough syrup from different pharmacies? Poor bastard.

 

I've seen some people post about what their daily lifestyle entails which might include 5 cones when they get up. 10 for lunch, 20 in the evening. Now that sounds pretty excessive to me (I'm lucky to smoke a joint a week - my wife will kill me if I go much more than that - and yes before you say it she is worth it). But for all I know the guys smoking 30 cones a day might be managing life perfectly well for his satisfaction. The guys on this show are clearly struggling and miserable.

 

At the end of the day it comes down to whether it works for you or not. If drug taking does work for you, you're probably not going to advertise it lest the anti-drug evangelists come down on you or people who should know better judge you etc. Thats why we dont see that many programs depicting people like this. But if you're a film-maker - maybe this is your big opportunity to do something not done enough to date. I would pay to see that.

 

Thats my two cents!