IT'S TIME WE STOPPED ALLOWING PUSHERS AND DRUGS TO DESTROY FAMILIES

Almost every day when I read the newspaper, there is a story about
someone being in court for stealing, fighting, home invasions, etc.
The defence in many of these cases is that the person responsible for
these crimes is suffering from a substance abuse problem.

We may read and shake our heads at how someone could, or would,
shoplift a package of meat or cheese worth a mere $3 and end up with
a criminal record, all in the name of addiction. I used to wonder the
same thing, but since I have been exposed to the power of addiction,
I see this in a much different light.

I have watched drugs take complete control of a loved one. I have
cried, screamed, become angry and had many sleepless nights, worrying
and wondering if she was okay. As I started to read and learn about
addiction, and after attending a family treatment program at the
treatment facility my daughter went to, I began to understand what
addiction was and the power it can have over our loved ones.

An addiction, be it to alcohol or drugs, is like an alien taking over
and consuming one's mind, body and soul. Addiction has no conscience
and is very selfish. It does not care if the person it is consuming
is a mother, father, son, daughter. All it wants is to feed itself
and destroy as many people as it can.

I know many of us will hear a story about how a mother has abandoned
her children, all for the love of drugs, and say to ourselves, "How
could a mother do that?" Or we'll say, "All she has to do is stay
strong and use her willpower."

What a perfect world it would be if it were that easy. The sad
reality is that once the body has a taste of the drug, it no longer
functions responsibly. The little voice from the drug is constantly
telling the mind that it cannot operate without the drug. The little
voice makes promises that the drug will make the person feel better,
help him or her forget about the bad things that may have happened.
It makes addicts believe that loved ones have turned against them,
that their children hate them -- anything to make them keep putting
the drug into their bodies.

Every time addicts puts a needle in their vein, they are committing
suicide. They never know what it is they are injecting. It may be
embalming fluid, liquid Drano, laxative -- anything the drug dealers
can use to build their supply, all in the name of money. And although
every addict realizes the risks involved, the drug is so powerful
they keep doing it. How lost and alone one must feel knowing they
have lost control of their lives.

Addicts I talked to said they wanted nothing more than to get back
control of their lives. The problem is, it is just not that simple.
Most treatment facilities do not offer a safe medical detox. One may
enter into the detox program at the hospital, but within a few hours
of detoxing addicts become so sick from the drug they eventually
cannot handle it any more, so they walk out back to the streets to
get the drug they are trying to quit. Yes, this -- their only friend,
the drug that is killing them -- is also helping them, in a sense, to
stay alive, as without medical detox they cannot do it on their own.

Detoxing is very dangerous if not done in a safe and proper way. If
addicts have the chance to get into treatment, chances are that once
they are out, there are no transition houses or sober living
facilities to give them the support they need to begin building their
lives. Recovery does not happen in 28 or 60 days. Recovery is a
lifetime struggle. One needs to learn how to live in society, rebuild
self-esteem, forgive oneself for all the pain one may have caused
one's families and loved ones. The sad reality is that not many in
recovery can find a place to rebuild their lives, and the drugs start
to consume their minds once again, telling them how they can make
them forget the struggles they are facing. So, once again, the
addiction takes over.

The war against drugs must start with each and every one of us. Would
you want a sexual predator living in your community? When this
happens, neighbours get together and fight to have the predator
removed. Many people are ashamed they have an addict in the family.
They often blame themselves, wondering if it was their lack of
parenting skills that caused it. The addiction is in its glory,
making the family feel responsible as it takes the blame away from
itself. It makes people afraid to speak openly and honestly, to
search for help for the addict.

How many of our communities have allowed, and are still allowing,
crack houses and drug dealers to operate near our schools and
children's playgrounds? Why are we not using our voices to have these
drug houses shut down and dealers arrested? One voice may not do it,
but I can guarantee you that if there are many voices, things will
start to happen.

Drugs are killing our children. We are allowing them to destroy our
families. We need to see that addicts have been abducted by the power
of the addiction. We need to force our government to build treatment
facilities and transition houses instead of super jails. We need to
band together as a society and destroy the power addiction has over
our loved ones.

Let's teach our future generation and warn its members about this
deadly disease by not hiding behind closed doors and keeping silent.
By staying silent, we are feeding the monster, allowing it to grow
and destroy our lives.