Louis Theroux - The City Addicted to Crystal Meth

[Ian Price]

Anyone see this last night? There are some nutcases out there - I felt genuinely sorry for a few people on it (not least the kids) but some people just don't help themselves.

Is Crystal Meth that addictive that one try and you're hooked? I'm not suggesting there are people on here that would be in the know (first hand at least). Just curious. I think trying it out of curiosity would be a very bad idea.

[Philly Q]

Is Crystal Meth that addictive that one try and you're hooked? I'm not suggesting there are people on here that would be in the know (first hand at least). Just curious. I think trying it out of curiosity would be a very bad idea.

Ask Edward Van Halen?  :P

[Afghan Dave]

That meth addict dude who was having sex with his sister!!  PDT_039 PDT_023 PDT_047

I mean, she looked OK for a junkie but I think that's taking things a little too far..  PDT_035

[hunter]

I zapped in and out of it.

To be honest I find it embarassing to have him just sit there and ask dumb questions. It's obvious that he pays the guys who let him sit in in return. Like this he is just scratching the surface and doesn't get the truth, just a weird version of it.

I have seen better things from the BBC.

There was this program recently where celebs were living the life of homeless people, I think was on BBC1. I really liked that one.

[gwEm]

Louis' fake naive-ity worked really well when he first started his career, but now its a bit embarassing yes..

I count myself lucky to be clean of drugs, when I see the effect of them on some of my friends, and less extreme stuff than crystal meth. What in fact can one do? They make a free decision and I'm not their Dad, can just suggest as a friend they want to cut that stuff out...

man :(

i think it very much depends on your person and life situation. some people almost seem to want to be addicted to these things.

[Afghan Dave]

There was this program recently where celebs were living the life of homeless people, I think was on BBC1. I really liked that one.

I couldn't disagree more with you regarding "celebs were living the life of homeless people"...

Almost any possible premiss for making such a program disgusts and saddens me.

• Can viewers only make time to consider serious social issues when there is a celebrity shoe-horned into the format?
• The complex reality of homelessness cannot be experienced by anybody as a tourist

I think only passive observation (Louis) shows some respect for the gulf in life experiences when attempting to explore alternate cultures.

[gwEm]

I think only passive observation (Louis) shows some respect for the gulf in life experiences when attempting to explore alternate cultures.

I love Louis' shows, but these days it really seems like an act he puts on at times. I'd still like to think he truly wants to expose issues, but at times it feels theres a bit of self-promotion going on, theres some falseness to it

[Afghan Dave]

I think only passive observation (Louis) shows some respect for the gulf in life experiences when attempting to explore alternate cultures.

I love Louis' shows, but these days it really seems like an act he puts on at times. I'd still like to think he truly wants to expose issues, but at times it feels theres a bit of self-promotion going on, theres some falseness to it

I totally agree! There always has been and I've still always enjoyed his work.

I think it is unavoidable for a very expensively educated upper-class Brit to do otherwise.

BUT...

The reason I can accept this and not baulk at the incongruity is that he doesn't opine or offer any answers.

[gwEm]

I think only passive observation (Louis) shows some respect for the gulf in life experiences when attempting to explore alternate cultures.

I love Louis' shows, but these days it really seems like an act he puts on at times. I'd still like to think he truly wants to expose issues, but at times it feels theres a bit of self-promotion going on, theres some falseness to it

I totally agree! There always has been and I've still always enjoyed his work.

I think it is unavoidable for a very expensively educated upper-class Brit to do otherwise.

BUT...

The reason I can accept this and not baulk at the incongruity is that he doesn't opine or offer any answers.

I do agree with you on that last point, though with some of his programmes I get the impression we are being led to certain conclusions.

[Afghan Dave]

Agreed.

[Johnny Mac]

I saw it. Its a desperate situation for those people in Fresno. If they really want to beat it then getting out of that place would help enormously but most of them can't due to money reasons. The woman who ran the rehab centre said "Meth' takes care of them" buy selling it presumably. Lets face it, that place and its inhabitants are F*cked.

[Plexi Ken]

Anyone see this last night? There are some nutcases out there - I felt genuinely sorry for a few people on it (not least the kids) but some people just don't help themselves.

I know this is a 'liberal' point of view but some people can't help themselves. A lot of folks differentiate drugs from other aspects of life, which I think is wrong. If you are depressed, no one would object to help from a 3rd party. But so often junkies are dismissed, not worthy of help, deserving their misery. A person can pick their own path but the human brain is a complex mixture of early life experience and millions-of-years of genetics, both of which we have no control over.

IMO, the mature blonde woman is last nights programme is self-medicating her depression. Many of the others also looked to be 'escaping' from difficult/painful experience.

Is Crystal Meth that addictive that one try and you're hooked? I'm not suggesting there are people on here that would be in the know (first hand at least). Just curious. I think trying it out of curiosity would be a very bad idea.

I can remember hearing an interview with an alcoholic, when asked when he became an alcoholic replied "from the day I was born".

[38thBeatle]

I saw this advertised somewhere and I really am not sure I could watch it. Obviously being involved in bands, I have had friends involved and some who never made it past 30. My youngest son has dabbled in some nasty stuff and you can imagine how I feel about that. I always think of that lyric from Keith Richard's Before they make me run "I wasn't looking too good but I was feeling real well".

[Twinfan]

It was an intersting program, and it really showed a completely different lifestyle.  I'd like to think in the same situation I wouldn't fall into drug use, but you never know do you?

I got the impression a lot of the addicts were trying to escape depression or their poorer lifestyle though Crystal Meth.  But it's such an addactive drug it gets them into a worse position, which is really saddening  :(

[JDC]

I basically see it in the same way I see any other self destructive pattern likes alcoholics, shopping addicts, sex addicts, etc

they don't have meaning or a sense of identity in life and don't know how to create it, so they get their fix for a self esteem boost, then the boost goes away, and they want another

if they fixed the local economy it would help a lot, as it would create jobs and give people something to aim for