JOEL LEVINE ADMITS HE'S 'VERY LUCKY TO BE ALIVE' PEABODY - Joel Levine traces his drug addiction to a flaw within. Some of his friends tried the same things. "But they knew when to call it quits. I passed a line that these kids didn't cross." Unfortunately, nobody knows ahead of time if they'll be susceptible to addiction. "It's a crap shoot," explains Levine, 21. "I have an allergy to drugs and alcohol. That's always going to be with me. For the rest of my life." He goes back to the days when he was a high school addict: "I'll be five or six days clean. And I come home, and I just have to use." He knew what the drugs were doing, destroying his family and, bit by bit, stealing away his life. But obsession took hold. And he wouldn't remember any of the reasons to stay clean. And he would use. "I couldn't stop until I ran out of money." Levine's remarkable recovery from addiction to OxyContin and heroin has been a public affair. The son of former Salem School Superintendent Herb Levine, he was a young man from a prominent family with an unlimited future who nevertheless fell into a suburban nightmare. Then, he survived, and ever since Joel has been in demand, speaking to groups all over, telling how he became ensnared and, more importantly, how he escaped. "I'm very lucky to be alive," he says. "I've been thinking about that a lot this last year. I now realize - with all the overdoses - I'm very lucky to be alive." A student at Salem State College living at his parents' home in Peabody, he's now studying physical education. "I want to take over the family business," he says cheerily. "I want to be a physical education teacher and a baseball coach." It's one of his regrets that, if not for the drugs, the former Peabody High second baseman would be playing collegiate baseball today. Even so, he hopes he might still join the Salem State team. "I've been thinking about it," he says. Lifestyle changes His social life has changed. The "acquaintances" he knew in the drug scene are far behind. As part of his recovery, he eschews alcohol. The friends he has now - some of them he's known since grade school - understand. "They all know if I have a drink, I'll break out into more and more drinking and then I'll go back to doing drugs." With others, he simply declares, "I'm a recovering drug addict." That can take courage. "I know a lot of people look down on drug addicts and alcoholics." But more often he's heard people reply, "I have a lot of respect for you." A 12-step program helped Levine recover. Paramount was a belief in a "higher power." For Joel that means God, but he's careful not to use the word because he doesn't want to discourage others from the program, people who might call their higher power by a different name. He stays sober with "constant prayer, with constant thought for other people." He has an even stronger relationship with his parents and siblings - the affection is clear in his voice when he speaks of them. "They support me 100 percent. I don't think I could have done this without them." The whole Levine family is taking part in a documentary DVD being created by television personality Jean Blake. It's likely earmarked for distribution to schools. Going public on all this has generally worked for the young Levine. However, he still resents a part of a Sports Illustrated article that seemed to pit him against former Peabody High baseball teammate Jeff Allison - a Major League pitching prospect who at first denied his own addiction to OxyContin. Levine also winces at an article in one of the Boston papers characterizing him as a "door-slamming menace." "I was a drug addict," he protests. "I was a confused kid." He continues to appear before school groups, speaking in a style that is earnest, plain-spoken and compelling. Visits are scheduled at St. John's Prep and Manchester High School. He offers advice for both kids and parents. "Just always, always be on top of your kids," he says. "Ask them questions. Who they're out with. Where they're going. Look out for things like a change of friends." At the same time, he cautions, he can give no magic words to keep those kids safe. "I think I can do a lot. But what matters is not what I say to them, but what they get out of it. I can talk till I'm blue in the face .... but it's up to them."
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