'THERE IS HELP OUT THERE; PLEASE GET IT'

I am a former Long Beach student and a former drug user. I did not graduate
because of my horrible drug habit. I started off drinking at a young age
with all of my friends. By the age of 15, I was smoking pot regularly. It
didn't take too much of that to progress into popping prescription pills and
the drug ecstasy, all starting at the age of 15. I absolutely couldn't stand
my parents because, yes, they were the ones who always checked up on me and
weren't too strict but did have firm rules. Even though I had a very close,
loving family, I drifted further and further away because of drugs.

When I was in school, I would have to say at least 70 percent of my
classmates had at least tried drugs. I saw many drugs inside and outside of
school. I have seen people snort cocaine in school and pop all kinds of
pills and I was one of the students who were doing these things. 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 I
had lost my mind. I asked my parents for help and they had me put in a rehab
in Louisiana. I was in there for five months. When I got out I started
smoking pot again because I thought that I could only use pot and use it
successfully without having the problems again. 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. I stole my mother's wedding ring while intoxicated (to buy)
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 and calm down but I looked in the mirror and
I noticed that my eyes were redder than I have ever seen them and I rubbed
them. I looked at my hand and blood came from my eyes. I finally got to
sleep that Saturday night and when I woke up on Sunday the cops were there
to get me up. My parents had called the cops 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 there, 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 an 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 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 love my parents more than anything now and am so thankful for
them. I look forward to the future now. I am now currently enrolled in
college. There is help out there; please get it. Parents, please wake up and
realize that yes, it could be your kid on drugs - 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. So, 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.