LOCAL SURVIVOR WRITES 'THERAPEUTIC' BOOK ON ADDICTION

Drugs and addicts. There's no easy solution as to what to do with either.

Last year, a stink was raised when a local organization planned to
hand out crack pipes to addicts. After much hysteria, the program was shelved.

Lost in all the debate were the people still on the street
desperately trying to feed their habit.

Frank Jodouin used to be one of those people when he lived in
Vancouver. The Gatineau resident is now clean and recently published
a book -- Shameless -- based on his days as a drug addict.

Q. The life of a drug addict isn't glamourous. Why did you want to
tell the story?

A. A drug addict's life is not about glamour but there is a
fast-paced sense of excitement that becomes just as addictive as the
drugs themselves. Often times, there's a distorted sense of
belonging and a familiarity with other addicts that is hard to get
away from, which is why a lot of people relapse and gravitate back
into the lifestyle. I'm a creative person from the word go and when
I wrote the book, I was fresh out of the life. I was back at home
with my mother and I needed something to occupy myself. It was a
logical and therapeutic exercise for me to write about the lifestyle
and mayhem that I had just come from. A part of me missed it but I
knew I couldn't just go back to it without grave consequences so I
entertained myself and rehashed a myriad of memories.

Q. How tough was it to look back on that life?

A. I can't say I found it particularly difficult to look back on
that part of my life. I set out to be honest with myself from the
beginning. Perhaps that made it a little easier.

Q. Do we have a realistic understanding of the drug problem in Canada?

A. Absolutely not. Most people I speak to don't have a clue how bad
it is and how much worse it will become if we don't come together
and at least stem the flow of drugs in our communities. I think
that's all that can be done at this point. I don't really think
outright victory is a realistic goal in the 'War on Drugs.'

Q. Last year, there was an uproar over a program to hand out crack
pipes. What did you think of the program?

A. Last year's controversy is a prime example of people's ignorance.
Programs such as the crack pipes, needle exchange and methadone are
known as harm reduction. Not only are they a good idea, they are an
absolute necessity. They stop the spread of disease and keep the
crime rate down. We need more programs of that nature. They are brilliant.

Q. What's next for you?

A. I am currently about to undertake a cross-country
promotional/public speaking book tour. I'm very excited and very hopeful.

(Shameless is published by Baico Publishing Inc.)