SYSTEM FAILS TEENAGE DRUG ADDICTS AND THEIR FAMILIES

The Editor:

An article I read in the paper brought back memories to me of a little girl.

Her happy eyes were chocolate brown and her chestnut colored hair with
golden highlights bounced when she walked. Her little-girl voice always had
the sound of laughter in it. I was amazed at how smart she was. She
mastered reading and writing at a very young age. It was remarkable how
gifted she was. Capable of reading and spelling far beyond her age group.
She was loveable and loved everyone. Adoring her Mom, Dad and grandparents,
she made them cards, drawings, dandelion bouquets and gave cinnamon-toast
flavored kisses.

Too fast the years flew by and life was busy. Growing older, she became
aware of the exciting world around her. Gradually she wriggled from the
arms of love into cold, uncaring arms, not knowing that for every innocent
young teenager learning independence there are legions of cruel and
deceitful adults who enjoy and profit from exploiting and destroying them.
They use drugs, money, and freedom to manipulate control of the innocent
and naive.

The little brown-eyed girl got caught in their snare. She was kindly
introduced to drugs by adults she believed to be friendly, caring and most
of all understanding. Within a sad amount of time, who she was, was being
stolen from her. The brown-eyed girl became a drug addict. Being injected
by someone else's hands until she was taught how to do it herself, she was
hooked. Her expensive and demanding habit consumed who she was. She began
stealing, lying and doing whatever she had to do to feed her powerful,
all-consuming addiction.

In the early stages, her parents didn't understand what was causing the
changes in their daughter's personality, attitude and physical appearance.
When they realized and believed she was doing drugs they tried desperately
to intervene and get her help. They began a discouraging, confusing,
exhausting and a heartbreaking search. This involved countless requests
seeking professional help, appointments, and police calls. Help was not
available.

The brown-eyed girl was too old to fall under the Young Offenders Act,
which has more in place to help troubled youth. A drugged 18-year-old
teenager not capable of being responsible for herself is classified as an
adult in the justice system.

For over a year the parents of the brown-eyed girl tried to get help. Her
addiction worsened, the more they tried to help and protect her the worse
the situation became. Overnight visits in jail didn't deter her from
feeding her addiction. The police said their hands were tied because of her
age. Without willingly going for treatment, no center could help. Even a
doctor adamantly refused to help. He told the father he didn't have time
for this and closed the door in the father's face.

Her parents tried every avenue to secure help for her, including having her
arrested. Only parents who share this same situation understand the
torture. They suffered through many sleepless nights of not knowing where
she was or whether she was dead or alive. Torn between love, worry, anger,
blame and helplessness, it is easy to point the finger of accusation and
say if they had done this, or didn't do that, she wouldn't be an addict.
Parenting is not the issue, parents trying to get help for their children's
addiction and the young addicts is.

After repeated, escalating and ugly scenes, the parents managed to get
their daughter into a treatment centre. Within 24 hours the young
out-of-control, self-destructive drug addict was able to walk out of the
facility because she was 18. They were not informed until she was long
gone. The brief call they received was classified as a favor by bending the
rules. By that time she had more venom in her veins.

Injection drug use in teenagers is escalating on the Island. Death from
addiction is very real, especially for young women. There once was a
19-year-old female who had artist's eyes and a poet's soul. Sadly she died
in Charlottetown from a drug overdose. Her family lives with their loss,
not their loved one. Where is the help for these young people? There are
loud cries for help from businesses and industries that are profitably
answered by the government and public. Millions of dollars come to their
rescue in their struggles. What about the struggles of teenage addiction,
the harm and destruction of a life failing? Isn't a human life a valuable
investment? Our youth are our future and many are being destroyed for a
profit. Where are their defense dollars and programs? If they are already
in place, please make them more publicly known and accessible.

Is the justice system flawed? At 18 you can't vote, drink or smoke. At 16
you can live wherever you want without a parent or guardian's permission
and you can drive a car. At 14 you are responsible enough to consent to
having sex. Do I have the figures right? I hope not!

What wise adult/s set these guidelines? The time line is definitely faulty.
It's like a fault line that sooner or later will quake, disrupting many lives.

I've known the brown-eyed girl all her life. When I see her now, it is
frightening. Her chocolate brown eyes, no longer happy, look too large for
her gaunt face. Huge dark glassy eyes hide who is deeply buried under
addiction. A once sturdy body is now thin and frail. Her voice is hurried,
her conversation is a rapid floods of words cut sporadically by stuttering
laughs.

Always rushing, unable to stop, until she crashes. She will abuse anyone
verbally and has violent outbursts. Lying, stealing, conniving to feed the
bottomless appetite of addiction she is hurting. When she fears for her
life, her cries for help are muffled by the physical need for drugs that
overpower her. She is weak and she gives in.

Now 19, she has finally been sentenced to two months in jail. A two-year
probation with a focus on addiction treatment, in addition to more details
of her sentencing were passed down by PEI Judge Nancy Orr. I hope the focus
will be on helping the brown-eyed girl who no longer can help herself until
she is rehabilitated and freed from addiction.

I pray that some day the long article in the newspaper about her, will be a
yellowed reminder of where she was and how she overcame it. With help, she
will be able to face and deal with the long trail of regrets. Through time,
the troubled brown-eyed girl, my niece, Karen, will become a beautiful
brown-eyed woman who is stronger, wiser and more loving than ever before.

How many more blue/brown-eyed girls/boys and their families are there who
need help?

Judy MacLeod, Belle River