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Tuesday, March 11, 2003 Page: 7A
IMAGINE HAVING THINGS DISAPPEAR OUT OF YOUR HOME AND THINKING YOU WERE ON THE
PATH OF HAVING ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE. THEN MONEY IS MISSING AND YOU REPLACE IT
BECAUSE YOU DON’T WANT YOUR SPOUSE TO FIND OUT THAT YOU’RE SO IRRESPONSIBLE,
AND AGAIN, THE MONEY DISAPPEARS, THEN IT HITS YOU. YOU REMEMBER YOUR CHILD
COMING FROM THE ROOM WHERE THE MONEY WAS AND YOU START SEARCHING THEIR ROOM,
BOOKBAG, COAT AND FIND SEVERAL LITTLE EMPTY PLASTIC BAGS. YOU CONFRONT YOUR
CHILD AND AFTER A LONG WHILE THEY ADMIT TO BEING ON HEROIN. YOU TRY TO IMAGINE
WHAT COULD CAUSE YOUR CHILD TO RESORT TO DRUGS. WERE YOU A BAD PARENT? DID YOU
DO SOMETHING TO CAUSE YOUR CHILD TO BECOME A DRUG ADDICT? WHERE DID THEY GET
THE DRUGS? WHY HEROIN? HOW COME THE SCHOOL DIDN’T NOTICE THIS? IMAGINE~ THE
FEELINGS OF HORROR AND GUILT THAT ARE GOING THROUGH THESE PARENTS’ MINDS AT
THIS POINT. WHERE DID WE GO WRONG? THIS IS HAPPENING MORE AND MORE IN OUR
COMMUNITY TODAY. FAMILIES ARE BEING DESTROYED BECAUSE OF THE “OUT OF CONTROL”
DRUG PROBLEM. CHILDREN ARE RUINING THEIR LIVES AND THEIR FUTURES BECAUSE THEY
MAKE ONE BAD CHOICE, A CHOICE THAT CANNOT BE REVERSED. HEROIN IS THE DRUG OF
CHOICE IN OUR AREA AND IS HIGHLY ADDICTIVE. ONCE TAKEN, IT REQUIRES A LIFETIME
OF BATTLES TO STAY CLEAN. WE AS A SOCIETY DO NOT OFFER EFFECTIVE LENGTHS OF
TREATMENT THAT ARE NEEDED FOR THESE CHILDREN TO OVERCOME THEIR DRUG PROBLEMS
AND STAY CLEAN. WHEN ONE PERSON IN A FAMILY HAS A DRUG PROBLEM, IT THEN
BECOMES A FAMILY PROBLEM BECAUSE IT AFFECTS THE WHOLE FAMILY. TREATMENT DOES
NOT MEAN FOR SOME OF THE DOCTORS IN THIS AREA TO PRESCRIBE FOR OUR CHILDREN
OXYCONTIN OR THE LIKES OF IT TO HELP WITH THEIR ADDICTION. ALL YOU’RE DOING IS
SENDING THEM FARTHER INTO THEIR ADDICTION AND TO THEIR DEATH. MY SON WAS ONE
OF THE LUCKY ONES BECAUSE HE IS STILL WITH US. THE ANSWER STARTS WITH THE
CITIZENS OF THIS COMMUNITY. AS LONG AS THERE IS LITTLE OR NO INVOLVEMENT FROM
YOU, INSURANCE COMPANIES WILL CONTINUE TO LIMIT TREATMENT DOLLARS TO THE POINT
OF BEING NON-EFFECTIVE. POLICE WILL CONTINUE TO LOCK UP DRUG ABUSERS IN
FACILITIES WITH NON-EFFECTIVE REHABILITATION. MORE THAN 85 PERCENT OF
PRISONERS ARE IN PRISON BECAUSE OF NON-VIOLENT DRUG CRIMES. THEY LEARN ALL THE
TRICKS OF THE MORE SERIOUS CRIMES AND COME OUT MORE ANGRY, REVENGEFUL, AND ALL
THE WISER TO HOW TO BEAT THE SYSTEM. THEN A REVOLVING DOOR STARTS FOR THE ONES
THAT DON’T EITHER COMMIT SUICIDE OR OVERDOSE. YOUR LEGISLATORS AND LAWMAKERS
WILL NOT SUPPORT NEW AND INNOVATIVE WAYS TO FIGHT THE DRUG WAR BECAUSE THEY
VOTE FOR WHAT YOU WANT AND YOU HAVE NOT TOLD THEM YET. HOW FAR ARE YOU WILLING
TO GO? I ENCOURAGE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU TO CALL OR WRITE YOUR LOCAL
OFFICIALS AND REPRESENTATIVES. LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU WANT THEM TO TAKE THE
NECESSARY STEPS TO END THE DRUG PROBLEM THAT CONTINUES TO KILL OUR CHILDREN
AND DECAY OUR VERY WAY OF LIFE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION,
JOIN THE CITIZEN’S DRUG POLICY FORUM. WE MEET AT 7:30 P.M. THE FIRST WEDNESDAY
OF EVERY MONTH AT THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AT THE CORNER OF SOUTH
FRANKLIN AND NORTHAMPTON STREETS IN WILKES-BARRE. IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION
PLEASE CALL 287-7620. CAROL HILLARD TRUCKSVILLE