The Panic in Needle Park

"The intersection at Broadway and 72nd Street on New York's West Side is officially known as Sherman Square. To heroin addicts it's Needle Park." (0:00)

Artist Marco asks artist Helen, "Smoke a joint? I tell you to smoke a joint." Drug dealer Bobby leaves Marco a plastic bag of unidentified drug, presumably heroin. (0:03)

Bobby tells pawn broker Esther, "I'm a dope addict... I'm a sex crazed dope fiend...I'm dying from the dope Esther." (0:12)

Bobby cooks a fix, draws it up in a syringe, tightens his belt on his arm, explaining to Helen: "I'm not hooked. I'm just chippin'" She tells Bobby about the "big thing... grass brownies." (0:15)

Bobby's brother Hank asks Bobby, "You still sellin' grass in the Village?" (0:19)

A male junky prepares a syringe. Bobby says, "Seven bucks for a nickle bag..." (0:23)

Close up shot of a metal bottle cap. A junky adds drug, water from a syringe, cooks the mixture with matches. He talks about "my girl in there" and draws up his fix. He talks about "Guys kickin' their habit in the street," applies a tourniquet to his arm where we see track marks. He injects a vein, appears high, then nods. (0:24)

Junky prostitute Irene talks about "smack" to a group sitting on a park bench. Bobby talks about "smack... coke." (0:29)

A male junky says there are "No problems with smack and coke..."
Bobby: "Ever try shootin' glue?"
Junky: "You mean sniffin' it."
Junky: "You know what the best high of all is?" (0:30)

Bobby tells Helen, "I can't. Not while I'm doin' junk." (0:34)

Bobby tells Helen, "I want you to score for me." (0:36)

Detective Hotch tells Helen "For the next 6 mos you've got everybody kickin' on the streets... junky, he'll always rat."
Later, Hank tells Bobby, "You've got your habit back."
Helen: "He's only chippin' "
Hank: "I chip. He uses." (0:41)

Helen opens a packet, taps the contents into a metal bottle cap, places the syringe in water (0:43)

Bobby injects Helen's arm. She removes the tourniquet, nods. (0:49)

A junky tells Helen, "I just heard Bobby's OD'd." They try to revive Bobby by stimulation and walking him around the room.
Bobby tells Helen on the phone from prison, apparently referring to the experience of his first use of heroin, "When you're clean that's all you can think about." (0:51)

Hank draws up a fix in syringe from a metal cap, hands it to Helen, (1:00)

Hotch, referring to Helen, tells Bobby, "She's shootin' $80 a day." (1:01)

Surgical masked people prepare white drug powder on a mirror using playing cards, apparently "cutting" it with a less costly substance. (1:08)

They package the mixture. (1:10)

Helen removes a needle from a nodding junky's arm. (1:11)

Hotch tells Helen, "He was shootin in his privates..." (1:15)

Helen tries to cover a track mark on her arm with powder (1:19)

Helen tells Bobby, "Maybe we oughtta move... out of needle park." (1:28)

In the men's room on a ferry Bobby prepares a fix, places a tourniquet, and injects Helen. She nods. (1:29)

Helen prepares to use. (1:34)

Helen tries to get a doctor to prescribe a pharmaceutical opiate analgesic. He asks her, "Are you an addict?" He gives her a small supply but says, "Don't hit me again." (1:35)

Hotch tells Helen she's "pushin' pills... you're pushin pills to kids." (1:37)

Helen lights a joint. (1:43)

addict | cut | heroin | joint | Opioid Withdrawal | Substance Dependence