MovieChat Forums > Go Ask Alice (1973) Discussion > Drugs are bad enough without making thi...

Drugs are bad enough without making this of kind stuff up

posted 17 years ago by lazarillo
8 replies | jump to latest

I first read this a few years back when I was a 9th grade English teacher (and before it had been officially debunked), and while I didn't let on to the students, I was laughing my a** off because I actually did a few drugs in my day. There is a part, for instance, where the girl becomes a prostitute because she is addicted to LSD. Whatever bad thiongs you can say about LSD (people ending up permanently in mental hospitals or jumping off buildings thinking they can fly) it is NOT addictive and has always been dirt cheap. There's also a scene where she and a friend are raped by some people who inject them with heroin. This is not totally unbelievable, but rings very false because most junkies would NEVER waste their precious heroin to get sex (except maybe a heroin dealer, but then he wouldn't need to go find innocent girls since I'm sure there are plenty of female junkies perfectly willing to exchange drugs for sex). I also didn't quite buy her "friends" being so threatened by her attempts at sobriety that they would dose her. It's not like there was any shortage of people to get high with in the early 1970's.

The students I had were young and they took this book very seriously. If it stops them from experimenting with drugs all the better. But what happens if they experiment drugs like marijuana or even hallucinogens and find out this book is a lie? Are they going to believe what people tell them about much more dangerous drugs like crack, crystal meth, or heroin? It seems like it's better to just tell the truth about drugs, which is bad enough without making stuff up.

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] MovieCriticMarvelfan 17 years ago

Eh seems like a no brainer question/answer:

The students I had were young and they took this book very seriously. If it stops them from experimenting with drugs all the better. But what happens if they experiment drugs like marijuana or even hallucinogens and find out this book is a lie? Are they going to believe what people tell them about much more dangerous drugs like crack, crystal meth, or heroin? It seems like it's better to just tell the truth about drugs, which is bad enough without making stuff up.

Who cares if the book is a lie? Chances are these kids would have continued to do drugs or seen the light after much needed help (with or without reading the book or watching the movie regardless of whether it's fiction or not). It's a moot point really. Chances are as well they won't believe people anyways about the damage other drugs do (kids, teens and adults all have the uncanny ability to not heed warnings even when facts are presented about the dangers of drugs). Who cares if the movie or book is all fiction, there are so many people there with real life cases that would be similiar to this film that it just doesn't matter. In the end, it's all about the message people bend the rules or slant facts, use fiction all the time for greater good.

"We have guided missiles and misguided men."

[–] Melrox999 17 years ago

Very intersting cause i know some ppl who do lsd and they say if they would of ever read a book like this they WOULDNT ever of done it. And wished they hadnt.
Cause there addicted.
And ik alot of ppl who say that thanks to the book there never going to do drugs.
I personaly think this book shows u that its not fun at all to do drugs.
I love this book.
even if its not real.

[–] mek0626 16 years ago

Im sorry but is this a joke?

1) It is a proven fact that there is no physical dependency to LSD.

2) Dont get me wrong, I liked this book too, but if I really wanted to try a drug, a fictitious book isn't going to stop me from experimenting...

[–] Big_Bad_Wolf3456 16 years ago

"I also didn't quite buy her "friends" being so threatened by her attempts at sobriety that they would dose her"

Actually I believed it was Jan (was that her name?) who did it just because Alice called her mom because she was stoned while baby-sitting and then they just decided to tease her about being sober and it would give them more of a reason to drug her up. I have a friend who'd told me about a trip she's had and it really wasn't much like in the book, so yes I'd have to agree that it's better to tell the truth than to scare kids.

[–] hopefin2000 16 years ago

In the book, it wasn't just LSD; it started with that, then she pretty much got into doing everything when she ran away. I know it said she took speed ----"I just pop a Benny"... The book was way more graphic in the drug use; I think even heroin maybe when she ran away???

I put the fun in dysfunction!

[–] macklin-1 15 years ago

I don't know who is saying this stuff but you can not get addicted to LSD. If you inject LSD you do not get a rush. If you take it orally it takes several days to get out of your system. And you "mind" doesn't react to it like other drugs. In other words, I take LSD today and party but if I take any tommorrow or the next day I probably wouldn't fell anything. This is a known fact. You should wait at least three to 4 days between trips or else you are just wasting your money. However, LSD has a lot of impurities in it and you will still feel like crap if you try to do a consecutive trip.

The last thing a heroin user will think about is sex ... even for months after they stop using. It kills the sex drive completely ... some people it even makes them sick just to think about sex when on heroin.

Macklin Crew

[–] drxcreatures 12 years ago

Reads like some people were living in a perfect drug land. Mine was not so bad either BUT, I DID know some people who got weird off of doing drugs and I DO know that drugs affect everyone differently. Just because one had a good life, doesn't mean another one did.

As for the heroin deal; my ex bf loved downer drugs and his sex drive was very high.

http://www.cgonzales.net & http://www.drxcreatures.com