ABUSE IS AUTHOR OF DRUG TRAGEDIES

Our View: Why Do People Turn To Vicious Drugs Like Meth? We Must Learn To
Respond -- And Prevent -- In Appropriate Ways.

Spokane _ The Spokesman-Review's five-day series on methamphetamine wraps
up today. The stories and photos have given us a look at this drug and its
many repercussions.

Methamphetamine to an addict may seem like an escape but it is actually a
dive into a living hell. Meth, like all drugs, only postpones facing reality.

Drug abuse often is part of a cycle that begins early -- with childhood
traumas such as sexual abuse.

The Substance Misuse Services unit of the Spokane Regional Health District
estimates 95 percent of men and women use drugs to cover the memories, pain
and anger of a traumatic past.

Spokane's Parent-Child Assistance Program for drug-addicted mothers
believes 95 percent of women involved in its program were molested as
children. Women exposed to sexual abuse are more likely to become addicted
to alcohol or drugs. Sexually abused girls are also more likely to become
teenage mothers, who in turn are more likely to drop out of school. The
lack of a high school diploma leaves them employed in low-paying jobs. And
if drug or alcohol addictions are involved, their children are at risk for
the same kind of abuse. The cycle begins again.

Sexual abuse is only one of the things that can lead people to street
drugs. Neglect, domestic violence and life with a substance abuser are some
of the others.

Solutions to break these cycles aren't easy but they exist. Counseling or
support groups help many. People who have experienced abuse need to work
through the pain and anger from their traumatic experiences. Counseling
enables people to move beyond the abuse and escape the need for
mind-altering chemicals. It can lead people to healthy ways to cope with
the stress of life.

Faith and religion, for example, can instill a sense of purpose and
belonging. Habits such as walking, running or other physical activity can
alleviate stress and the need for drugs.

Communities simply must offer mental health services. Reforms to the
Spokane County mental health system have increased the time before people
receive help. These services are needed now more than ever to help with
meth addicts.

To stop sexual abuse, children must be educated about sex. Children should
learn what is appropriate behavior between adults and themselves. The
coloring book, "Red Flag-Green Flag People," has been used as part of a
sexual abuse awareness programs for over 20 years. It helps kids recognize
inappropriate touching.

The newspaper's methamphetamine project showed children exposed to
meth-addicted parents and bleak surroundings. The cycle from abuse to
addiction can be stopped. We need to use the tools already available, and
strengthen them.

Jackie Van Allen/For the editorial board