COMING CLEAN ABOUT DRUG ABUSE

Shelly Williams found out that she can get a lot more from drugs than a
quick high and an escape from reality.

She found out she can also get a new place to live (prison), a new way to
make fast cash (selling her body) and a few new friends (drug dealers and
other users).

Williams (not her real name) is glad to leave it all behind.

Now she wants other young people to be aware of the dangers of drug use,
and she encourages them to attend a forum next week in Abbotsford.

The youth drug and alcohol prevention forum takes place Friday, May 18 at
Matsqui Centennial Auditorium. It has been organized by the Impact
Adolescent Substance Abuse Program.

Williams said making connections with people involved in programs such as
Impact made a big difference in her recovery. They were able to direct her
to a treatment program when she was ready to change her life.

It was a path that took several years to travel. Williams first began
experimenting with drugs at the age of 13, starting with marijuana. It
progressed from a weekend-party thing to an almost-every-day habit.

She thought she had it under control and that she wouldn't try anything harder.

"I always promised myself that I would never do cocaine, and that ended up
being my drug of choice. Everybody says pot is a gateway drug, and I
totally believe that now," she said.

Williams tried cocaine for the first time at age 15, and shortly after
turned to alcohol, often binging to the point where she couldn't remember
the things she said or did.

"I ended up in the drunk tank seven times in three months," she said.

Williams had periods where she would abstain, but she'd connect with old
friends - or make new ones - who had a steady supply of her favourite drugs.

She ran away from home and dropped out of school. One of her "friends"
connected her to a guy who smothered her with attention, new clothes and
plenty of cocaine. What Williams didn't realize until it was too late was
that he was grooming her to sell her body on the streets.

She was forced into prostitution for a brief period but managed to escape -
at a risk to her life. Her drug use escalated to include acid, crack and
crystal methamphetamine - a particularly potent poison.

"I lost 30 pounds in six days. You stop eating, you sweat, you stay awake;
you're always moving," Williams said.

Her first attempt at getting clean - she went "cold turkey" - lasted for
six months until she returned to her former haunts.

This time around, Williams' drug problems led her to more serious
encounters with the law. She was the passenger in a stolen car during a
high-speed chase and spent almost two months in jail for the escapade.

She was so high on heroin that she had no recollection of the arrest.

"I can hardly remember the first one or two days I was in jail apart from
them trying to get my name from me," Williams said.

It wasn't long after her release from prison that she made the decision to
try for a clean and sober life once again. Williams completed a 12-week
treatment program last week.

"I can't believe I'm not dead after the amount of drugs I've done.
Obviously, God has plans for me," she said.

"I'm here to fulfill my goals and accomplish my dreams and I'm not going to
let anyone take that away, especially the drugs."

Williams, now in her late teens, eventually hopes to become a substance
abuse counsellor.

She credits the strength and support of her mother for getting through her
difficulties.

That's encouraging news for Marleen Johnston (not her real name), whose son
is in the grips of a drug addiction.

She worries about his health and safety, but is learning that she has to
set boundaries - for her sake and his.

In the past, Johnston has come to her son's aid, giving him money to pay
off the supposed drug dealers who were after him or to buy the food he said
he needed.

Johnston knew she was often being manipulated, but had difficulty refusing
her son's pleas for help.

"As a mother, it's totally built into you to want to care for them and have
the best for them," she said.

Johnston has since learned, through the support of a 12-step program for
families, that she's not doing her son any favours by meeting his every
request. She has learned that when she rescues him, he's doesn't learn to
stand on his own and face the consequences for his behaviour.

She recently said no when he showed up on her doorstep, begging for food, a
place to stay and another chance.

It was more than Johnston could take. Over the years, she had watched her
son survive a serious car accident, several arrests and many attempts at
treatment.

She had experienced his vicious mood swings, his tirades and his endless
crisises. She had enough.

"Something just snapped. I hit bottom," Williams said.

"He has to get the message that I'm not going to do this anymore. He's not
going to abuse me or steal from me."

Williams said that standing up for herself has empowered her to get back
her life.

"I want my serenity and I'll do whatever I can to get it," she said.

"I can help my son by continuing to work on myself. I feel like I will
continue to be a big influence in his life, as I continue to do this."

Johnston said making connections with the people at Impact helped her to
take the necessary steps to her long-term emotional and mental health.

The program employs professional counsellors who work with youths aged 12
to 18 in group meetings and one-on-one sessions, and with their parents.

The drug and alcohol prevention forum has two components. The first
involves sessions for secondary school students run from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The second is a public forum on the same day from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Speakers include Dan Reist from the Task Force on Drugs; Don Potkins, the
clinical supervisor of Impact; and Billy Wasalowski, director of Innervisions.

For more information, call Impact at 853-1766.