THE UNDERBELLY OF THE VALLEY

It Takes Great Courage to Look a Demon in the Eye.

Starting on our front page this week is a story about a local man who
overcame crack cocaine addiction.

From our observation, he is an "ordinary average guy," as Joe Walsh would say.

He's a fully functional and contributing member of our community.

We have not named him - calling him John Doe instead - because of the
impact that would have on his life in this community. People's
perceptions would be skewed and warped and he'd forever wear a tag
and that wouldn't be fair because it was his naive teenaged curiosity
and freedom to roam in our valley community that led him to the
demon's lair. Time in a big city with the demon turned him into a wraith.

He became a loner obsessed with only getting high again - with
feeding the beast. He began to spiral downward, flirting with crime
and with bad people. One of his big city dealers is now serving a
double life sentence for murder.

John Doe's anonymity will no doubt inspire much guessing as to who he
might be. He could be that guy, or that guy over there or the guy
sitting in the corner of the coffee shop.

And that is the point we are trying to make.

He could be any number of valley residents - because cocaine and
crack addiction is a demon many of our neighbours, friends,
co-workers and acquaintances are enslaved to. They feed the beast on
a regular basis and some even have it somewhat tamed, or so they
believe. They 'dabble' here and there and think they have it in
control. But the beast - the demon - always gets you in the end
unless you kill it first.

John Doe confirmed a great many perceptions this writer has compiled
over the past 15 years, observing life pass along in our holiday
heaven community.

When I arrived in the valley in 1991, the first community nickname I
heard was 'snow valley,' followed closely by 'manana valley.'

Having spent a fair amount of time walking up the centre of Yeehaw
Road, I generally found myself quickly on the doorstep of the man,
wherever I roamed.

But not here. There was a disconnect on the doorbell and if I knocked
no one would answer. It was a good thing.

Pot and alcohol, both demons with considerable powers, tend to be
sociable drugs. Cocaine begins as a social drug because the demon
likes to prowl among those seeking a thrill but once that demon has
control of you, you lose yourself.

Importantly, John Doe pointed out that pot was a gateway drug to
cocaine and crack. Many pot smokers would vehemently argue that it is
not true because they've never opened the cage to more horrible
demons. All they should know is that they are lucky.

John Doe opened it and he was extremely lucky that he had a loving
and caring family. They were the guides who led him away from the
demon and enough space and time and suffering later, he was free and
clean. And there he remains.

John Doe is not just a lucky man. He's also a courageous one - for
having enough jam to look the demon in the eye and to let his loved
ones help him. He's also courageous for being willing to tell his
story to a relative stranger and have it presented in print.

In the past four weeks The Echo has been providing information about
crystal meth and we ended our series with a tale about cocaine and
crack addiction.

We see a definite connection to the two drugs. Cocaine and crack use
is rife in this community. The naive or those in denial would be
shocked to learn just how many people are using the drug, either as
full-blown addicts or as weekend dabblers.

Meth use can begin when one cannot get their hands on some coke or
crack. The high is supposed to be similar, though meth provides a
longer and more intense buzz - hence the severe addictions that occur.

Luckily, local experts believe meth remains on the outside looking in
in the valley.

That's a good thing. But considering this community's reputation for
being a party spot, we must remain vigilant.

Sadly, it is likely that the availability of cocaine in this
community is keeping the meth to a minimum. And the current crop of
youth flirting with the gateway drugs have not yet 'progressed' to
that slippery slope.

What a terrible trade-off. But from everything we have learned while
writing about meth, it's a demon that would tear the cocaine/crack
demon to shreds.

To all the dabblers out there, please keep that in mind.