THE HORROR OF DRUG ABUSE

This is an open letter to the parents of Holbrook.

Recently, we committed our daughter to a detox / rehab center for the
second time for drug abuse.

Many other Holbrook parents have had their children committed to similar
facilities for drug abuse. All of these kids were born and brought up in
Holbrook and come from decent homes with other children in the house. Drugs
are not an issue of class; they involve everyone and don't care how much or
how little you have.

These kids are addicted to Oxycondine, or OC's as they are referred to on
the street. OC's are time release painkillers that perform a real function
for thousands of Americans, if used as prescribed.

The kids have found another way to use them. They crush and either snort or
inject them. Crushing destroys the time release capability of the drug and
gives an instant high.

The downside of this drug is its potency. It's as bad as heroin or cocaine.
It takes three to five days of intense drug and physiological therapy
before an individual is ready to begin the healing process.

Can it be done without professional help? Sure, but you're playing with
fire. The death rate among those who try is extremely high.

My daughter has lost her job and her health insurance. The only way to have
her treated is to either pay for it out of our savings or have her put on
welfare (which allows a maximum of a 31 day stay) and have all of you pay
for it

I paid $5,600 last night for two weeks of treatment, and this is just the
beginning. We were advised that her best chance for recovery was to be in
treatment for eight to 16 weeks , and we could expect the treatments to
cost us in the vicinity of $25,000. We will beg and borrow what we need to
try and give her the best chance of total recovery.

We've made some very difficult decisions in the last day or so. She was
told that once she comes home, if there is another occurrence, she's on her
own. Yes, I'll throw her out of my home. She can come back only if she is
clean and stays clean. "Once an addict, always an addict."

Her life is going to be difficult at best. She won't be able to take a
painkiller for anything that may happen to her in the future, and if she
does, there's a strong chance of a relapse.

We will have to spend the rest of our days worrying about everything she
does, where she is, what she's doing, and who she's with. There will always
be that unspoken question in our minds.

Where did these drugs come from? From the streets of Holbrook, your
neighborhood and mine! My daughter has numerous sources within a mile of
our home where she cuts deals to feed her habit. Her friends and her
dealers. How does one go about separating friend from foe? We now suspect
everyone.

These dealers have many friends: those that use and those that don't. This
is a very close group, and no one will "rat out" their friends, regardless
of what may happen.

This past summer, a young girl overdosed at home on drugs she took at a
home in Holbrook, and she's dead. Just this one life is too much. The
police have their hands tied, since if they pick someone up, that's all
they get: just one dealer, not the entire chain.

Do you know where your children are? Do you know who they are? Do you know
who they're with? Do you check their cellphones occasionally for names you
don't know? Do you know what signs to look for?

If you can't answer yes to all of these questions, your child may be on the
same path as my daughter. Please do something before it's too late. Drug
abuse has reached epidemic proportions.

Name Withheld