AHS Views

Some people wonder why they don’t get the reaction they expect when they try to get someone they care about to stop taking drugs. Well, it’s just not that easy. Take this  recent news story about a drug problem in Long Island, for example. These parents did everything they could to get their 18-year-old daughter the drug addiction help she needed - but, now, she’s dead.

In the news story, Barbara Keller, the executive director of the Suffolk Coalition to Prevent Alcohol and Drug Dependencies, said that parents hesitate to seek professional help for themselves and their families. “If you know your loved one; you know when something is not right,” she said. “Trust your instincts.”

A drug addict will do everything they can to convince you there’s no problem. They’ll hide it from you, deny it, lie to you, convince you they can stop whenever they want - they’ll even take your money, or sell your TV. Really, they’ll say or do anything. They’re in the grip of something much more powerful than someone who has not been in their position can understand. And they need addiction help.

If you think there’s a problem, there probably is. Follow Ms. Keller’s advice. Trust your instincts, and call Addiction Help Services if you don’t know where to go from there.

1,200 Massachusetts drug offenders are currently enrolled in the special “drug court” sessions where defendants are given one last chance: Commit to drug addiction treatment — and to intense supervision — and you’ll stay out of jail. Started in the 1990s, it is a program with a demonstrated record of success — addicts who participate re-offend less often, and stay sober longer.

The program grew out of a realization that simple incarceration of offenders with drug addiction issues had been a proven failure. As the number of drug addicts responsible for criminal acts grew — by 1997 about 70 percent of those arrested for crimes nationwide were acknowledged drug users — government and court officials arrived at a consensus that more drug addiction treatment was a better answer. With federal support, some 1,700 drug courts have been established across the country.

Source: www.boston.com