PERSONAL EXPERIENCE SHOWS ADDICTION CAN BE BEAT

I'm a recovering ice addict and a proud member of the Maui Economic Opportunity
Inc. team. Despite my past, MEO welcomed me aboard with an acceptance that is
hard to find.

I have been blessed with the position of housing coordinator for the BEST
Reintegration Program since April. Now I have the opportunity to help the same
people I used to live with in prison.

The MEO staff was invited to the sign-waving along Kaahumanu Avenue Sept. 25.
As I stood holding a sign that read, "We love you, please stop using," I
couldn't stop the pain in my heart for those who are still in the grip of
crystal methamphetamine.

It's pretty hard to deal with life sometimes but it's better being clean. I
know a lot of people get into ice for the money, sometimes with good intentions
of buying necessities for their kids that they couldn't afford even with two
jobs. Ice is sneaky. It doesn't show its ugly face until it has taken control.

I endured an abusive past and when I took the first hit of ice, everything
seemed to disappear along with the pain, but, I was allowing the crystal to
possess my soul and eat my true self from the inside out.

I stood out there with a sign to show people who are slaves to drugs that there
are people who care. It's not us against people who are using, it's all of us
against ice destroying the aloha that once made this island such a safe place
to live.

It is important that we don't look down on the people who are slaves to drug
use but to despise the drug itself. I don't want the ones who are still using
to misunderstand our mission to heal our community as a personal act against
them, but as an attempt to expose an ugly beast that is destroying our
community, our families, our friends, our children's future, our schools, our
neighborhoods, our playgrounds.

I would also like to thank God for helping me to stay clean. Choosing to live,
choosing to change and accepting myself was very hard but it can be done. It's
not too late to change.

Nona Hough

Maui Economic Opportunity Inc.

Kahului