Drug Problems

Bourne with an Opinion

Letters to the Editor

Drug problem nearly ruins life

Guest Writer
Name withheld by request

I am writing in hopes of opening your eyes about a very real plague currently threatening many of our students. The plague I refer to is the rising use of drugs and the resultant effect this is having on our student body.

Unfortunately, I speak from firsthand knowledge. I formerly experimented with a number of drugs, attended parties where drugs were present and have seen everything from casual smokers to individuals with syringes in their arms.

I have seen friends arrested, been frisked myself, narrowly missed GBI drug busts and most recently learned that my best friend had to be admitted to Windwood because of a drug addiction. Statistics from Windwood for drug-related admissions, ER drug related deaths and Narcotics Anonymous meetings are everyday events here in Rome.

If you think I am some over-reactive do-gooder, be assured I am not. If you are currently using drugs, your natural inclination is to dismiss what others say for many reasons. You may think things like "What would they know? They haven't even tried drugs." or "It's my body, I can do what I want." I know all the reasons. I felt the same way until last week.

Hard facts are usually not enough to get people to change their behavior. After all, we have all had the DARE program. Consider the number of individuals that continue smoking cigarettes even with dire warnings on the package. For some of us, knowledge just isn't enough. We have to push the envelope.

I have just begun to realize that I stopped playing with drugs just short of ruining my life. A series of events happening over the past six months led to one rather profound finale for me. I was called to an addiction center by one of my closest friends. He had been admitted for inpatient treatment. We had shared many parties and drug experiences. At the same time, parts of the extended crowd of acquaintances I know and had been hanging out with were getting arrested.

Another friend I found in a back room at a party with a syringe in his arm. It was then I realized everyone goes to jail, gets hooked or dies. The clincher was confronting my friend, syringe still in his arm. I said, "Man, what the hell are you doing?" He replied, "There's nothing wrong with this." In my mind something clicked and I realized just how abnormal all this was.

The next weekend I received the call from my best friend from the addiction center at the hospital. I visited with both him and his family. It was extremely upsetting to see his parents crying. I could only envision how my parents would react. Many of the stories my friend shared of other residents' problems with addictions and persistent flashbacks from various potions they had sniffed or snorted were vivid evidence of the destructive potential of drugs. I couldn't help but envision my life being reduced to what I saw in their situations.

Two of my other friends are planning to join the military to get away from Rome and hopefully structure their lives and straighten themselves out. Unfortunately, I imagine their constant use of drugs is out of control and they have so many health problems they may not pass the entry tests or drug testing requirements.

The problem has taken on the drama of movies for me. Fortunately, I was not the main character, but a supporting actor. Perhaps this is why my vantage point allowed for more observation and reflection. If you have never received calls from friends in the hospital due to their last OD, you might dismiss what I'm saying. I saw firsthand the heartbreak of a family hearing their son say to a therapy group, "Hi, My name is ______, and I am an addict."

I'm leaving this article unsigned because I'm not yet ready for everyone to identify this story with me. The contents of this article are very real and would hurt my family a great deal. I'm not proud of my actions, but I am doing something positive about them. The Narcotics Anonymous handbook says that part of recovery is helping others with your problem. I believe that in sharing my experience perhaps I can help someone avoid addiction. It gives me a completely different high that I don't feel bad about the next day.

No worthwhile activity carries the risk of arrest, police raids, going to jail, being expelled from school or disappointing or hurting the people closest to me.