I STOLE MY MOTHER'S WEDDING RING FOR DRUGS

I am a former Long Beach student and a former drug user. I did not graduate
because of my horrible drug habit. I started drinking at a young age with
all of my friends. By 15 I was smoking pot regularly, then quickly
progressed to popping prescription pills and the drug ecstasy.

I absolutely couldn't stand my parents because they were always checking up
on me. Even though I had a very close, loving family, I drifted away
because of drugs.

When I was in school I would have to say it least 70 percent of my
classmates had at least tried drugs. I saw many drugs inside and outside of
school. I've seen people snort cocaine in school and pop all kinds of
pills, myself among them. I am not afraid to say that I had a problem and
that Long Beach has a much bigger problem than most people want to admit.

When I was 17 I did so much ecstasy, mushrooms and pills that I thought
that I had lost my mind. I asked my parents for help and they put me in a
rehab in Louisiana. I was in there for five months. When I got out I
started smoking pot again, thinking that I could use pot and avoid the
problems of other drugs.

It didn't take two weeks for me to start stealing my family's prescription
pills again. Before I knew it I was using all the drugs that totally messed
me up all over again. I kept on using more and more until July 20.

That day will stick out in my head forever. While intoxicated, I stole my
mother's wedding ring for more drugs.

I bought 10 ecstasy pills and took eight of them and gave two to one of my
friends. I stayed up for more than 24 hours and then, the day after, I
smoked some pot to try to calm down.

I looked in the mirror and I noticed that my eyes were redder than I had
ever seen them and I rubbed them. There was blood on my hand. It came from
my eyes.

I finally got to sleep that Saturday night, and on Sunday morning, the cops
were there to get me up. My parents had called the police and had me arrested.

I went to jail on a felony, facing five years in Parchman. I stayed in jail
for almost a month and my parents got me out. While I was in jail, a member
from my church was one of the preachers that came up to the jail and we
talked a lot and he got me started on the right track. I got out of jail
and was put on house arrest and court ordered to outpatient drug program.
Ever since then I have turned my life over to God and was baptized.

I am so thankful for my parents today because they saved my life by putting
me in jail.

I wish that the kids that were using drugs knew what harm these drugs can
bring you and the disappointment and depression it will bring you and your
parents.

I look forward to the future now. I am enrolled in college. I love my
parents more than anything and am so thankful for them.

There is help out there, please get it. Parents, please wake up and realize
that, yes, it could be your kid on drugs. Do it now before it's too late;
it could save their life. They might hate you for it, but they will learn
to love you for it.

Long Beach, please, wake up and instead of talking about how good or bad
Long Beach is, do something about the problem so we don't have to see any
more deaths and lives ruined from drugs.

I hope this letter will encourage some drug users to stop and realize that
there is a better life to live. If I can do it, anybody can do it.

DAVID SERRATO

Long Beach