WAR ON DRUGS BEING FOUGHT WITHIN FAMILIES

My older brother, Neil, has just recently retired after more than 40
years on the railroad and is really enjoying retirement, but it is not
what he expected.

Instead of traveling the country and enjoying the sights and flavors
of new places and leisurely living, Neil and his wife, Judy, are
raising their 5-year-old granddaughter, Savannah. They are involved
again in all those activities they thought were behind them like PTO
meetings, swimming lessons, dance recitals and Vacation Bible School.

And they are not alone. More and more these days, grandparents are
finding themselves once again in the role of parent. Neil and Judy,
who live near New Orleans, recently joined a new support group for
grandparents who are rearing their grandchildren. Neil said the number
of participants almost doubles every time they go to a meeting.

And in almost every instance, the reason for the situation is the
same: drugs.

We lost the war on drugs a long time ago. Back during the Reagan
years, we put up a strong attack from a law enforcement perspective,
but the huge demand from drugs in America just simply overwhelmed
anything law enforcement was capable of doing. It was soon apparent
that the drug problem is not a law enforcement issue, but a cultural
dilemma that goes to the very fiber of our spirits and that education
and treatment are essential elements to the battle. By the time we
realized that, it was too late and resources were too slim.

So, the war shifted from drug cartels, smuggling and Miami Vice kind
of fighting to the front lines, our families.

Now, we are involved in hand-to-hand combat, one case at a time and
almost no family has been left without casualties.

In Savannah's case, her mother (my niece) died of beast cancer at a
very young age. Her father has been absent for much of her life
because of a drug problem.

Savannah doesn't understand why her mother is in Heaven and all these
older folks around her are not, but she's a very happy, active little
girl with a quick and charming smile. Part of that happiness might
come from the fact that Neil and Judy say they are better parents this
time around.

We had a family gathering recently in Jackson and the subject of our
personal battles with drugs had to come up. My sister, Judy, has a
22-year-old son, who has been in and out of the courts, is currently
unemployed and living at home along with his girlfriend and their
daughter, and is in a methadone program to try and beat his drug addiction.

I'm the drug war veteran of the family. My daughter, Tiffany, has been
clean and sober for at least 11 years, but that doesn't mean she's
cured. Once an addict, always an addict. And I wish I could say that I
helped her kick her addiction, but nobody can do it for them. They
have to hit rock bottom and then begin a long, difficult fight to
recovery, usually through 12-step programs.

Then they have to find their way back into the real world. After years
of drug abuse, many of these young people have no marketable skills at
all. Fortunately for us, Tiffany found her way back to college,
cultivated computer skills and is now working at a responsible job and
attending classes at night to continue her recovery.

But in the wake of her long journey, there have been casualties.