SUBSTANCE ABUSE IMPACTS MORE THAN JUST ABUSER

Family, Friends, Community Also Affected

Before getting clean and sober, Chris had to lose his family, his
girlfriend and his freedom. His problem affected everyone around him,
including people he didn't even know, said Chris, 16, who asked that his
last name not be used. Now atTurning Point, a residential home for troubled
teens, Chris said there were many times he and his friends would drive
while drunk or high - a fact that causes him deep regrets today. "I put a
lot of people in danger," he said. "I could have done a lot of harm to a
lot of people." Substance abuse doesn't just impact the user, experts say.
It often creates a ripple effect from the person to the family and to the
community at large. "It's a cycle," said Stephanie Mora DeRosby, lead
addiction specialist at Turning Point. The cycle for Chris began when he
was 13 and started smoking marijuana. At 14, he said, every cent he had
went to buy pot. "I loved that feeling, so I just kept chasing it," he
said. But it took more and more drugs to get that high, so he began adding
alcohol to the mix. He later turned to cocaine and LSD. His girlfriend was
anti-drugs, Chris said. So he avoided her anytime he was high, something
that became more and more commonplace. "I tried to be sneaky, but she
knew," he said, adding that she even went so far as to go to his mother and
express her concern. "She stayed with me probably to help me," Chris said.
Eventually, though, it was too much. "She broke up with me because of the
weed," Chris said. " ... I don't blame her." Later, Chris spent 42 days in
jail for contempt of court after a domestic dispute.

When he was released from jail, he was sent to a group home. Even that
didn't curtail his drug use - he used cocaine on weekend passes, he said.
His drug use caused a rift between him and his family, too - something
Chris is working to repair during his time at Turning Point. He often lied
to his mother about his drug use and would argue with her. He also used to
work at his grandfather's landscaping business.

That relationship began to crumble when he started missing work because he
was high. "They lost trust in me," Chris said. " ... Now, I'm staying clean
and doing whatever I have to to show that they can trust and respect me."
The damage caused by Chris' drug use wasn't limited to those directly
involved in his life. While high, he and his friends often would go to
parks or natural areas.

Usually, they would "just sit and chill," but occasionally, those incidents
would turn destructive, Chris said. On a few occasions, their late-night
binges would lead to pushing over portable toilets or throwing trash cans
into reservoirs. "We were bored, and I guess we wanted an adrenaline rush,"
Chris said. "It was pretty stupid." Now, he said he realizes that "release"
cost others time and money and that someone had to clean up the messes he
made. People's tax dollars paid for those things, and they paid to have
them cleaned up, Chris said. Oftentimes, the best way that teens can make
up for the damage they've done to themselves, friends, family and their
community is simply to live a good life without drugs and alcohol, DeRosby
said. "As part of the recovery process, clients do look back on their past
behavior and at all the insane things they've done and how their acts have
affected others," she said. Turning Point also encourages clients to give
back to their community in an attempt at restorative justice. They also
often share their experiences and their recovery stories with others, which
can have a profound effect, DeRosby said.

About this series This is the eighth of a 12-part Coloradoan series on
underage substance abuse.

This yearlong project is structured roughly around the 12-step program used
by organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous to help individuals overcome
dependency on alcohol and drugs.

The series began in June 2001.

Future installments include:

? February - Making amends to the community where possible.

? March - Continue the inventory: Are things changing?

? April - Seeking a way to improve the situation through the community's help.

? May - Finding healthier ways to live.