Controversial Documentary Banned in Rehab / Screened Free to the Public

June 3, 2008 - PRLog -- After garnering four first-place festival wins in 2007, American Drug War (http://www.americandrugwar.com) was picked up by Showtime Networks Inc., in March of '08 to air for the next two years.  Weeks later, actor and musician Esai Morales brought up the film on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher and suggested everyone at home needs to see it.  Morales' comments were later the subject of a segment on Bill O'Reilly's TV show on the Fox News Channel.  

It seems that the word on this "dangerous" documentary got out to the powers that be.  Local news recently broke in Texas of drug rehab center where detainees/patients who are allowed to watch cable TV were told that if they were caught watching "American Drug War" or "Breaking Bad," they would be instantly punished with lock-up.  The source is a nineteen year-old male who was originally given a DWI and, while on probation, was caught with a small amount of marijuana in a pipe.  As a result of his 60-day court-ordered rehab, he was exposed to being housed with hardcore meth and heroin addicts; threatened with solitary confinement for watching a documentary.

Luckily for Kevin Booth, a larger number of people across the country have seen the film and are doing their best to show it to others with a strong belief in the positive potential it has to fix many problems in our society.  After a successful presentation at last years NACA conference, Booth was invited to show his film at several colleges and universities across the country.  Word of mouth spread and soon teachers and professors began showing it to their classes  on their own and engaging students in a topic that is one of the most closest and important to them.  Along with radio stations like Los Angeles' KPFK Pacifica Radio, private citizens and activist and film groups have taken it upon themselves to set up free screenings at local venues in an attempt to get the information to their own communities where it is needed most.  

In association with Robert Greenwald's Brave New Theaters, the Whittier Peace and Justice Coalition (http://www.whittierpeace.org) will be hosting a free screening in Whittier, California on Thursday, June 5.  For more information, please visit this link: http://americandrugwar.bravenewtheaters.com/screening/sho...

To learn more about American Drug War: The Last White Hope, check out the film's website at http://www.americandrugwar.com.  For more about Kevin Booth and Sacred Cow Productions, visit http://www.sacredcow.com.