AHS Views

Former heavyweight boxer George Chuvalo lost three sons to heroin addiction. A recent article reports that the 70-year-old is now traveling around the world speaking with kids about the dangers of addiction; with hopes that many won’t start drugs in the first place and that those on drugs will get through drug rehab before it’s too late.

Chuvalo has been talking to kids about the dangers of drugs since 1996. He lost two sons to heroin overdoses: one in 1993 and the other 1996. A third son committed suicide in 1985, which was also related to his drug addiction. Chuvalo tries to educate young people on the dangers of heroin addiction because “he didn’t want his sons to die in vain.”

While Chuvalo can’t go back in time and save his sons, all of them would probably still be alive if they had completed a successful drug rehab program.

When asked where he’d been since winning and losing the Ultimate Fighting Championship 4 ½ years ago, Ricco Rodriguez said he’s basically been hanging out and partying while fighting for small time promotions. But he also did something else during that time – went to drug rehab. And that’s why he’s now back in the big ring.

Rodriguez’ real break came in 2006 when, after testing positive for cocaine and marijuana before a fight, he was called by a talent agency about participating VH1’s Celebrity Rehab reality show. After going through the treatment, which he described as “a very intense thing,” Rodriguez was drug free.

And, he’s back. He’s booked on the International Fight League team championship finale between the New York Pitbulls and Quad City Silverbacks at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

“My philosophy and attitude is quite different these days,” said Rodriguez.  Thanks to a successful drug rehab program, he has another chance.

Contrary to what many marijuana advocates will tell you, smoking marijuana sends a lot of people to drug rehab. In fact, about 300,000 people check into drug rehab for marijuana addiction every year.

On top of being addictive in itself, there’s no doubt that marijuana is a gateway drug: About 62% of adults 26 or older who use marijuana before they the age of 16 end up hooked on cocaine, and over 53% of get hooked on prescription drugs, according to White House Drug Policy report..
 
With statistics like that, it’s hard to believe that people still think marijuana is just light recreation. I just read an article about a teacher in the U.K. who gave her kids marijuana so they wouldn’t get into harder drugs. Bad move. The best thing to do with people who smoke marijuana is get them into a drug rehab program, before the problem escalates.

Many professionals in the drug treatment field will tell you that the only way to handle an addiction to drugs and alcohol is to check into and complete a drug rehab program.

While this is true in almost all cases, a recent article indicates it’s not the only form of help. Pop star, and former soap star, Jason Donovan credits his 7-year-old daughter with helping him kick the habit. Although Donovan didn’t quit when she was born, as she got older he realized he was setting a bad example. Drugs became less appealing and he eventually stopped using. He’s been sober now for years.

Having worked in drug treatment for years, I can tell you that’s very unusual – I’ve seen fewer than five clients actually stop drugs by themselves. Some would stop for a while, but never completely.

While no one can deny that having a child often causes a person to drastically change their life, it’s not usually enough to end drug addiction. However, in Jason Donovan’s case, it looks like he might make it without doing a drug rehab program.

Whose responsibility is it to make sure that there are enough drug treatment centers available to help addicts? Should setting up successful drug treatment programs fall on the shoulders of governments, church groups or religious leaders? Or even private citizens? How about the communities in which drug rehab is needed most?

A recent article reports that one community in southern Tennessee is setting up drug treatment facilities by forming their own association. The group, which consists of several business owners, has seen what drug addiction is doing to their area and they want to do something about it.

The community group currently has 15 members – all from an area responsible for nearly half the city’s drug complaints.  The group hopes to raise enough money and get some government help to get a successful drug rehab program up and running. Unfortunately, the local government is currently not offering much support.

Amy Winehouse wouldn’t have had her recent problems with drugs and alcohol if she’d been in a band, according to a recent article. Sounds pretty lame to me. How about this for an idea: Amy Winehouse wouldn’t have had her recent problems with drugs and alcohol if she had gone to drug rehab.

The front man for The Hives says “It must be hard going through what she’s going through all by herself.” True enough. But what she’s going through is because of drugs and alcohol – and whatever’s behind her need to take them – not because she doesn’t currently have a band.

The fact is this: drugs and alcohol breed more drugs and alcohol. The only way to stop the cycle is to stop the drugs. And the only way to do that is through a drug rehab program that gets down to the bottom of why you’re taking drugs and helps you turn things around. Until she recognizes that and does something about it, there’s not much chance of her life changing – at least, not for the better.

Another heated debate about whether or not drugs should be legalized: this one between a retired police captain and a district attorney. The police captain says drug laws are causing crime and violence that we wouldn’t have if we made drugs legal. Sounds to me like he’s just given up. Can’t blame him really – with about 10 million people in America needing drug rehab to straighten out, it must seem pretty hopeless.

However, I don’t think legalization would handle the problem. While it’s true that the crimes of possession and trafficking wouldn’t exist, we’d still have a country overrun with people trying to get drugs. Drug habits are expensive – how will addicts support their habits? Not by holding down a 9 to 5 job.

And what happens when we want to curb the crime and violence connected to just getting the drugs, legal or not? Will we then raise our health insurance rates even higher so addicts can go to the doctor and get a prescription for heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, or marijuana?

And what happens to drug cartels and local dealers who want to control the turf and make more money? That’s not going to go away with legalization. The only difference is that the police won’t have to do anything about it because they won’t be doing anything illegal. Until they kill each other, or an innocent bystander, because someone stepped on someone else’s toes.

And what about the violence created by the drugs themselves. Do parents on drugs abuse their kids because drugs are illegal? No, it’s because that’s the effect drugs have on them.

Making drugs legal is suicide. God knows drugs have already caused enough damage – continue the crack-down, and continue getting more people into a drug rehab program.

Chicago’s St. Viator High School is taking hair samples to test kids for drug use. So far, they’ve tested about 500 kids – half the student body – and only two tested positive. In the face of national statistics, this sounds pretty impossible. 10 percent of high school seniors have taken Vicodin according to a 2006 National Institute on Drug Abuse survey, and more than 36 percent of ninth graders reported drinking in the month prior to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevent (CDC) study. Obviously, there’s a ton of kids out there who need drug rehab, or are going to sometime in the future, but St. Viator’s testing isn’t catching it.

The problem that the testing does not include alcohol, prescription drug abuse, inhalants or steroids. The school says “We can’t be taking urine samples every day to find out if they’ve been drinking.” But what’s the point of testing if they’re not going to find the major problems?

They’re spending $75,000 on this program and so far have two positive tests. One of the teachers in the school did an informal survey on the students’ reaction to the testing: the consensus was that it might get them to switch from the drug they’re currently using to a drug not included in the test, or to alcohol.

The teacher said he wonders if the money would be better spent on drug education. Good idea. It might save 300 or 400 kids from having to find a successful drug rehab program in the future.

Formerly contracted performers of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) have apparently received letters from WWE offering alcohol and drug rehab completely financed by WWE.

The letter says that too many WWE performers have died from drugs and alcohol, and the organization wants to prevent further tragedy.

WWE is also offering to provide intervention for those who have a problem, but think they don’t. Families and friends of formerly contracted performers need only contact WWE to take advantage of this offer. It doesn’t matter how long the performer was contracted, or what the circumstances were when the contracted ended.

I’m impressed. The interventionists and treatment centers are chosen by WWE. I’m sure they’ll avoid the overly-expensive luxury centers that are churning out celebs who go out one door and in the other. Let’s hope they choose a successful drug rehab program that will help our sports figures turn their lives around.

I read an article today about the residents of Washington Heights, an area in upper Manhattan, protesting a drug rehab opening right behind a school. “Why would you put a drug facility right on a street where there are drugs, constantly drugs?” comments one of the residents. That’s like asking why would you want to bring a policeman into an area where there’s crime. Washington Heights is notorious for its drug abuse problems, and has been for nearly 30 years. The place would probably do better if there was a drug rehab behind every school, not just one.

Residents are afraid that the facility will expose more kids to drugs – no, it will expose more kids to people who want to get off drugs. That’s a different story. It might even inspire some of the local addicts to get help, and it might run off some of the dealers.

There are different types of drug rehabs: there’s the kind that just pay lip service to rehabilitiation – methadone clinics are a good example – and there are those that help people get down to the bottom of why someone is taking drugs and actually enables them to begin a new life. The latter is a successful drug rehab program. If the new facility in Washington Heights follows that model, residents should count their blessings.