FBI, DEA produce documentary warning teens about heroin

published on April 24, 2016 by John Keilman in Chicago Tribune

A few dozen teachers sat in an auditorium at Westmont High School last week and watched a tale of darkness: seven people, three of them incarcerated, speaking on video about the depths to which their opioid addictions had taken them.

Such cautionary tales have long been a staple of drug education, but these had an unusual provenance: The video was a co-production of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration, agencies known for busting dealers, not instructing teens.

The video, “Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opiate Addict,” is available online, and the FBI and DEA are trying to get schools to incorporate it into their lesson plans. It’s a sign that the feds are adding new tools to their law enforcement responsibilities in the face of America’s opioid epidemic, FBI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Michael Anderson said at the Westmont High screening.

“We need to pick up our game on prevention, and this documentary is just one step in that direction,” Anderson said.