Tweak

1. Tweak Tweak Tweak Preview

2. By Nic Sheff Nic Sheff is a recovering drug addict and alcoholic. Still in his early twenties, he continues to fight daily battles with his addictions. His writing has been published in Newsweek, Nerve, and the San Francisco Chronicle. Tweak is his first book. Sheff, Nic. Tweak. Simon & Schuster Childrens Publishing Division. 2007. Print About The Author

3. Protagonist Nic Sheff. As a young 17 year old boy drugs have always been a part of his life, drinking at the age of 11, smoking was an everyday thing, although, dropping acid, and mushrooms were occasionally used. Went to rehab and was clean, but soon relapsed after. “I guess I’ve spend the last four years chasing the first high. I wanted desperately to feel that wholeness again. It was like, I don’t know, life everything else faded out. All my dreams, my hopes, ambitions, relationships-they all fell away as I took more and more crystal up my nose. I dropped out of college twice, my parents kicked me out, and, basically my life unraveled. I broke into their house-I would steal checks from my father and write them out to myself to pay for my habit. When I had a job at a coffee shop, I stole hundreds of dollars from the register. Eventually I got arrested for a possession charge. My little brother and sister watched me get carted away in handcuffs.” (Sheff 5)

4. Antagonists Lauren his ”girlfriend”. Zelda one of his dealers and the love of his life. Gack his parter in crime. Akira, introduced him to crystal meth when he was 18. Destiny, he is good with everyone and started him back up with meth. Bullet his assistant dealer. Candy another on of his dealers.

5. Favorite Character Nic, as the main character you get to love and be so absorbed in his life. Experience lightly what he is going through and feel all his pains and see all his trials. He wanted to stop but its impossible.

6. Los Angeles, California 2004-2006 Setting

7. Life was normal, back in high school it was just pot, occasional mushrooms and acid. He got along with his family and never thought about doing anything else. He meets up with his friends some old, and new. He starts trying new stuff, drinking, crystal. He had just gotten back from rehab when the story begins, he is relapsing with Lauren. He realizes he cant go home, he ends up starting all over. Running away from home, stealing things but nothing to noticeable. Plot SummaryExposition

8. Everyone knows that he has relapsed now. He ran into his family, and ran away from his mom. Gack and Nic are starting there own selling business and are getting cheated, stolen from and harassed. He started to realize that he needed to get off of crystal meth. The feelings and thoughts of regret were starting to kick in. Plot SummaryRising Action I had gotten my backpack of clothes out of the youth hostel. I actually had two backpacks, and then I had the brilliant idea of cutting the packs up and sewing them together to make one, giant, SUPER backpack. By the time I finished cutting everything up, however, I got really tired and passed out. When I woke up I had no super backpack and no regular backpack, either. (Sheff 59)

9. Nic has decided to become sober, he is going to rehab, diagnosed with bipolar disorder . He is ready to turn his life around. He meets back up with his mom, who he has not talked to since before his drug usage, and reunites with his dad, step mother, and family. They take a trip to Hawaii together, and Nic thinks that everything will be easy. Plot SummaryClimax

10. Nic is moving in with Zelda (37). Spencer (rehab buddy) is in complete denial that this will help with his problem. Zelda and Nic are engaged, and are planning their wedding. Zelda gives Nic some Suboxone (used to treat opiate addiction) to ease his stomach ache. Nic relapses with Zelda, on cocaine and crystal meth. Nic used a dirty needle and his arm, almost causing him to have his arm amputated. Plot SummaryFalling Action

11. Nic has relapsed once again, broken into him moms house to steal her computer, and is given the choice sobriety or jail. He is put into a detox program and later into a long term treatment program. Zelda is also put into detox. Nic comes to the conclusion that drugs are not for him. “It seems to fit. I feel comfortable in my own skin. I feel like I’m able to claim my own person. At least I’m making a start. I’m learning to stand on my own.” (Sheff 319) Plot SummaryResolution

12. Rating 10 out of 10 This is one of my favorite books, I would recommend it to everyone. Reading out the trials people go through everyday, and learning about there will to survive is amazing and is a humbling experience. This real story is touching and this makes you realize that we are all suffering in some way.

13. Social Issues Drug abuseJuvenile OffendersHomelessness

14. Drug Abuse Interview with Nic Sheff, and his father. US news video Drug Abuse

15. Causes of Drug Abuse Some of the very prominent causes of drug abuse include Hereditary intake of drugs. Disturbed childhood Peer pressure Lack of confidence when it comes to confronting the reality Broken family situations Unavailability of supervisors during teenage Easy access to drugs Irresponsible parents ‘try only once’ attitude among the youth of today Failure to meet the youth understand the hardships of reality Ill treatment undergone during childhood and the like.

16. Statistics • In United States of America, the root cause for 25% of the total deaths can be attributed to drug abuse. • 65% of drug addicts get access to the drink via their close family and friends. The most commonly used drug among American youth is alcohol. Chronic alcohol consumption kills youth 6.5 times beyond normalcy. Alcoholism is the most prominent cause of birth abnormalities. • Drug withdrawal is not just as easy as anyone thinks. The process can bring in hallucinations, paranoia and seizures. Drug withdrawal in rare cases can even prove to be fatal. Medication cost of a drug addict is almost 2 times the medication cost for a clean individual. Drug addicts tend to take up 527000 emergency rooms for treatment in one year. • Almost a death toll of 10000 can be attributed to chronic alcohol abuse within a timeframe of one year, • 75% of domestic violence is caused by drug addicts. 50% of Americans have a beloved one who is suffering from drug abuse problem at any given time The age group that is worst affected by drug addiction is 18-29

17. Statistics • The drug consumption generally begins at adolescent years. Statistics reveal that the average age is 12.5 years Alcohol usage is most prominent among Hispanics. Whites and African Americans follow suit Hispanics are the ethnic group that is very popular in the arena of illicit drug consumption • Heroin and cocaine contribute to 70% of illicit drug addiction problems across America • Among school children who come out of the eighth grade, 52% have tasted alcohol, 41% have smoked cigarettes at least once and 20% have given weed consumption a try Teen Drug Abuse. 1 2 2010 <http://www.teendrugabuse.us/teendrugstatistics.html>. The negative effects of teen drug use are undeniable and obvious. When considering those negative effects, it is alarming to see some of the actual statistics concerning the amount of teen drug use in highschools and middle schools. In addition, many parents have felt that their teen's alcohol use is ok because it isn't a harder drug like crack, or heroine. However, it should be noted that alcohol kills five times more teenagers than all other drugs combined(usually through accidents)! Below are just a few of alarming statics associated with teen drug use and the effects of alcohol on teenagers. - Illicit teen drug use as of 2003.  * 8th grade -- 30.3%  * 10th grade -- 44.9%  * 12th grade -- 52.8%- Underage drinking costs the United States more than $58 billion dollars annually, enough for a new state of the art computer for every student.- In the last thirty days 50% of teenagers report drinking with 32% being drunk at least on one occasion.

18. Statistics 50% of high school seniors report some use of an illicit drug during their life 75% of seniors having at least tried alcohol and 23% within the last month Marijuana has been used by 44% of seniors and is the most popular drug that is completely illegal in the United States. 60% of teens that do use drugs use marijuana. By the end of 8th grade 27% of children will have used drugs. This year nearly 43% of high school seniors will try some type of drug. 10% of these seniors will develop a cocaine problem. • This year an exstimated 2.4% of high school seniors will try heroin. The reality is no one starts off using cocaine or meth, the reality is people start off using marijuana.

19. Anti Drug PSA video Anti Drug PSA 2 video

20. Who does drug abuse affect? Your relationship with the drug-affected person may also affect how you cope with their alcohol or drug use. If your child is using drugs or alcohol, you may be worried about their safety and want to protect them at all costs. You may blame yourself for their behavior, or cover up for them so that they don't have to take responsibility for their actions. If your brother or sister is using drugs or alcohol, your response may depend on your relationship with them and your parents. You might feel sorry for your sibling and want to protect them. Or you may feel angry that your parents don’t seem to care about you any more. If one of your parents is using drugs or alcohol, you may be scared to admit that there is a problem. You may even feel that it is up to you to fix or hide your parent’s use. If your spouse or partner is drug-affected you may be taking on more of their responsibilities and trying to keep your relationship and the family going. You may also cope by taking drugs or alcohol yourself, hiding their use and pretending everything is normal. http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/2004/pdf/drugs_families.pdf

21. Everyone's situation is different. But no matter what is happening, you can look after yourself, and care for other family members. Take your life back. You need to look after yourself if you want to continue to care for your relative or friend. • Take time out for yourself. This could mean spending time with your friends, going for a walk, reading a book or spending time on your own. No matter how small, it will make a difference to how you feel. • Get help and support. Support services can help you and your relative or friend to cope. • Talk about the issue with your family or friends. It’s important that you don’t go through this on your own. It also helps to be united • Remember you can’t fix the person. Onlythey can take steps to cut down or stop their drug or alcohol use. If they don‘t admit that there is a problem, and are not ready to get help, you can still look after yourself and others close to you. • Talk to the person close to you and tell them how their behavior is making you feel. Let them know that it is not acceptable to behave badly – set some boundaries. • Realize that recovery may take time. Even small steps are a positive sign. • Often the decisions about what to do are difficult. Only you can decide which choices you can best live with and agree on what is and isn't okay. http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/2004/pdf/drugs_families.pdf

22. MGMT- Time to Pretend I'm feeling rough, I'm feeling raw, I'm in the prime of my life.Let's make some music, make some money, find some models for wives.I'll move to Paris, shoot some heroin, and ___ with the stars.You man the island and the cocaine and the elegant cars.This is our decision, to live fast and die young.We've got the vision, now let's have some fun.Yeah, it's overwhelming, but what else can we do.Get jobs in offices, and wake up for the morning commute.Forget about our mothers and our friendsWe're fated to pretendTo pretendWe're fated to pretendTo pretendI'll miss the playgrounds and the animals and digging up wormsI'll miss the comfort of my mother and the weight of the worldI'll miss my sister, miss my father, miss my dog and my homeYeah, I'll miss the boredom and the freedom and the time spent alone.There's really nothing, nothing we can doLove must be forgotten, life can always start up new.The models will have children, we'll get a divorceWe'll find some more models, everything must run it's course.We'll choke on our vomit and that will be the endWe were fated to pretendTo pretendWe're fated to pretendTo pretend

23. People think that drugs perhaps can be a life of luxury. I say this looks pretty fun. http://www.voont.com/files/images/guide/drug/addict.jpg http://www.floodspecialist.com/assets/images/biohazard-cleaning/drug-overdose-death-008.jpg http://www.neaiga.org/PicBaby2faces.jpg http://www.anti-meth.org/images/meth_user.jpg

24. What Happened? ANGELITA ALVAREZ What happened is what I ask my self everyday.What was she thinking knowing she'd be putting her life to waste.This is my sister and I love her with all my heart,But doing drugs has only kept us far apart.I never thought she would end up this way,It hurts me knowing I can't help her, so all I do is pray,I pray for her to open her eyes before it's too late.Dealing drugs and stealing became her hobby,I guess she doesn't care if her kids end up without a mommy.Why can't she be the way she was before?Now that was my sister, the one that always loved me more.She was my best friend, we were always together,Nothing ever kept us apart because we promised we'd be sisters forever.I guess forever finally came to an end.She don't love me anymore now, Heroin became her new friend.I cry every time something reminds me of my sister,I feel anger and pain inside knowing I can't help her.But I won't lose faith,Every night I will pray,Cause I know someday God will show her the way.So now I put this poem to an end and wish only for the best,I pray it's never my sister who will someday be laid to rest!What Happened?, Drug Abuse Poemshttp://www.familyfriendpoems.com/family/poetry.asp?poem=2173#ixzz0gxPaApoN

25. How much does the average person spend on drugs a year? $47,000.00 Heavy drug users will do anything, including selling their car the clothing off there back, to buy drugs. http://www.ncjrs.gov/ondcppubs/publications/policy/99ndcs/images/image-14.gif

26. LATIMES news article national news article Parents supplying children with booze local news How we get addicted. Magazine article News Article, baby boomers. Article 1 A drug to end drug addiction. Article 2 Adolescent Substance Abuse Article 3 Drug Abuse and Addiction Article 4 Is it Mormons or the state? Article 5 Causes of Drug and Alcoholism Article 6

27. Alvarez, Angelita. “What Happened?.” familyfriendpoems. 28 February 2010 <http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/family/poetry.asp?poem=2173>. CBS. Youtube. 27 November 2007. 18 February 2010 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqWaf9DMFOc>. Drugfreeworld.org. 16 November 2007. Youtube. 28 February 2010 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzykVhaEOPg&NR=1>. Drugfreeworld.org. 17 August 2009. Youtube. 28 February 2010 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMwxWHaZUro>. Government. "Drug Abuse and Addiction." MedicineNet. 25 February 2010 <http://www.medicinenet.com/drug_abuse/article.htm>. HagansDream. Youtube.com. 28 April 2009. 5 February 2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgrWeSlMkjo. Hylton, Hilary. "A drug to end drug addiction." 9 January 2008. Time. 25 February 2010 <http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1701864,00.html>. Landis, Shawn. Utah's High Anti-Depressant Usage. 28 March 2008. 1 March 2010 <http://mormonism.suite101.com/article.cfm/utahs_high_antideprresant_usage>. Lazar, Kay. "As pot-smoking, pill-popping baby boomers age, new health problems may arise." 8 February 2010. BostonGlobe. 25 February 2010 <http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2010/02/08/illicit_drug_use_among_baby_boomers_is_on_the_rise_as_are_long_term_health_concerns/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--Today%27s+paper+A+to+Z>. Lemonick, Michael D. How We Get Addicted. 5 July 2007. 22 February 2010 <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1640436,00.html>. Liddle, Howard. "Adolescent substace abuse." 25 February 2010. teen-drug-abuse. 25 February 2010 <http://www.teen-drug-abuse.org/adolescent-substance-abuse.htm>. MGMT. Youtube. 20 November 2008. 18 February 2010 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYMzJcAFqLY>. N/A. The Causes of Drug Addiction Problems and Alcoholism. 02 Mar 2010 <http://www.recoveryconnection.org/blog/2010/03/the-causes-of-drug-addiction-problems-and-alcoholism/>. N/A. NIDA. 27 July 2009. 22 February 2010 <http://www.drugabuse.gov/infofacts/understand.html>. N/A. Teen Drug Abuse. 1 2 2010 <http://www.teendrugabuse.us/teendrugstatistics.html>. NSW Health. Families and friends affected by the drug or alcohol use of someone else. 1 March 2010 < http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/2004/pdf/drugs_families.pdf>. Proctor, Charles. Methadone emerges as new killer. 26 February 2007. 5 February 2010 <http://articles.latimes.com/2007/feb/26/local/me-methadone26>. Yen, Hope. Deseret News; Parents help supply teens with booze. 26 June 2008. 18 February 2010 <http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-16780923.html>.