COUNTYWIDE : Alcohol and Drug Abuse Focus of Film
Independent television producer Keith Wintermute set out last year to document the extent and cost to taxpayers of alcohol and drug abuse in Ventura County.
At 7 p.m. today, KEYT-TV Channel 3 will air “Addictions . . . Solutions, One County’s Story,” an hourlong documentary that chronicles the human, social and financial cost of alcohol and drug addiction.
Nearly 10% of county residents are substance abusers, and the county spends more than $200 million annually arresting, trying and treating them, Wintermute said.
He and the executive producer of Oxnard-based CARD Productions decided that the show needed to highlight programs available to help addicts quit, regardless of their ability to pay. Wintermute interviewed more than 85 people, including several recovering addicts.
The program will be distributed to churches, schools and community organizations.
A 30-minute edited version, focusing specifically on treatment, will be available through the Ventura County Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs, a co-sponsor of the film.
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