Avoiding Triggers? Don’t Watch These 35 Movies

The point of recovery means that you can live a normal, flourishing life without the use of drugs, meaning that you will be able to go about daily life without feeling anxious or fearful about relapsing. You’ll be able to go out with friends, hold down a job, maybe go back to school, and even travel. That said, when in early recovery, having a bad day, or not being spiritually fit, you may want to avoid certain triggers that might kick off the mental obsession and cravings to use. One such trigger for you might be watching a movie that deals with drug use.

Here’s a list of movies that incorporate the use of a substance or multiple substances. This list is definitely not all-inclusive; there are tons of movies out there that include some sort of drug use (remember, alcohol is a drug, too – think of how common it is to see characters in movies drink). Some of these movies involve fictitious drugs but, usually it’s obvious to us what real drug it’s based on.  I comprised this list of movies that lean towards gratuitous and/or graphic drug use. I also included movies that tended to glorify or romanticize drug use.

Avoiding Triggers? Don’t Watch These 35 Movies

21 Grams (2003) Cocaine

21 Jump Street (2012) a fictional drug called HFS and marijuana

A

Almost Famous (2000) LSD, marijuana, Quaaludes and Vicodin

American Psycho (2000) Cannabis, cocaine, Halcion, Xanax, and Ecstasy

B

Basketball Diaries (1995) cannabis, cocaine, heroin, solvents, and various pills

The Big Lebowski (1998) Cannabis and LSD

Black Snake Moan (2006) Ecstasy and Prescription pills

Blow (2001) Cocaine and marijuana

Boogie Nights (1997) cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine

Brick (2006) Heroin. A cult classic film starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt

C

Candy (2006) Cannabis and heroin

Casino (1995) Cocaine, heroin and painkillers

D

Dazed and Confused (1993) Alcohol, cannabis, and LSD

Drugstore Cowboy (1989) Amphetamines, diazepam, heroin, hydromorphone (Dilaudid), oxymorphone (Opana), methamphetamine, and morphine

E

Easy Rider (1969) Cannabis, cocaine and LSD. A Cult classic with Jack Nicholson, Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda

F

Friday (1995) Angel Dust (PCP) and marijuana

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) Adrenochrome, amphetamines, amyl nitrite, barbiturates, cannabis, cocaine, ether, heroin, LSD, mescaline, hashish, hash oil, opium, and thorazine

H

Half Baked (1998) mostly marijuana; cocaine, crack and heroin

The Hangover (2009) GHB, rohypnol

Horrible Bosses (2011) Cocaine and MDMA

L

Limitless (2011) Fictional drug called ‘NZT48’

M

Max Payne (2008) Fictional drug called ‘Valkyrie’

Menace II Society (1993) Crack cocaine, heroin and marijuana

My Own Private Idaho (1991) Cocaine

P

Party Monster (2003). Crack/cocaine, heroin, MDMA, Ketamine (Special K), and LSD

Pineapple Express (2008) Cannabis, reference to oxycodone

Pulp Fiction (1994) Cocaine, heroin, marijuana

R

Ray (2004) Heroin, marijuana

Requiem for a Dream (2000) amphetamines, barbiturates, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and MDMA/Ecstasy

S

Smokin’ Aces (2007) Cocaine

A Scanner Darkly (2006) Cannabis, cocaine, and ‘Substance D,’ a fictional psychoactive stimulant

Scarface (1983) Cocaine, heroin, Quaaludes

Spun (2002) Crystal Meth

T

Trainspotting (1996) Amphetamines, buprenorphine, methadone, chlormethiazole, codeine, cyclozine, diamorphine, dextromoramide, dextropropoxyphene, hashish, heroin, MDMA, morphine, Nalbuphine, nitrazepam, opium,  pentazocine, Pethidine, phenobarbitone, Sodium Amytal , Temazepam, and Valium

W

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) Cocaine, crack, morphine, Quaaludes, and Xanax

If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll-free 1-800-951-6135.