FIGHTING CRACK HABIT IS A DAILY STRUGGLE

Letters To The Editor News & Record

Regarding Susan Mills' letter ("Treating crack addicts requires new
approach," May 25):

I completely share her opinion on the crack addict situation. My brother is
an addict, and I have researched long and hard to try to understand what he
is going through.

It is my understanding that crack is one of the hardest drugs to beat. We
need more places to offer help to addicts who would really like to make a
change in their lives. It is a constant struggle just to survive. It is
especially upsetting when you see a person who is kind-hearted and caring
resort to stealing just to keep up his habit.

We as Americans are rallying behind the U.S. in the "War on Terrorism" when
we together fight the war that hits closer to home -- the war on drugs. It
is a war that we as a country are desperately losing fast. The jails are
running over with men and women who only committed a crime to support a
habit, but their sentences are longer than for those putting it on the
streets and poisoning our communities.

I hope that one day we will all pull together to fight to take back our
loved ones and reclaim our streets from drug abuse. Until society realizes
that crack addiction knows no color and doesn't care how much money or
education you have, we will never be able to really live and enjoy the
little things in life.

Levia A. Anderson

Madison