Fighting Back: Part 8c

THE POWER IS NOW IN YOUR HANDS

Knowledge is power. But, sometimes, knowledge is painful. For eight days,
The Sun Herald has tried to bring to our community the knowledge that is
necessary for success if ours is to be a drug-free community.

During Red Ribbon Week, articles have focused on drug-abuse information
specific to children and young adults, parents and educators, neighbors,
employers and friends.

As editors and reporters, and as a community, we have learned the physical
consequences on the brain and the body of drugs - street drugs, alcohol,
abused prescription drugs.

From recovering addicts, we have learned the insidiousness of addiction,
how quickly it can occur, the nightmares of a mind altered by chemistry,
and how difficult it is to wrest back control that was lost.

From heart-broken parents, we have learned that it is naive to believe
that our children are "too good" or too young to be involved with drugs,
and that the difficulty or stigma of facing a drug problem is a minor
discomfort compared to the grief of losing of a child.

From law officers we have learned that the problem of drug abuse in our
community is far more widespread than most South Mississippians realize.
From community leaders and volunteers we have learned that there are
people and programs to help - many of them in many different ways - and
that, if we are lucky enough not to need them, they welcome extra hands.

We have learned something about our community that is painful and not
pretty. We now know that the worst thing we can do is to deny it, and that
the best things we can do require a greater commitment of our personal
time, attention and energy.

Armed with this knowledge, our community needs only one more thing to
successfully fight back.

You.