Pubdate: Fri, 19 Nov 2004
Source: Holbrook Sun (MA)
Pubdate: Friday, November 19, 2004
Contact:  http://www2.townonline.com/holbrook/
Address: 91 Washington St, Weymouth, MA 02188
Copyright: 2004, Tri-Town Transcript

THE HORROR OF DRUG ABUSE

This is an open letter to the parents of Holbrook.

Recently, we committed our daughter to a detox / rehab center for the 
second time for drug abuse.

Many other Holbrook parents have had their children committed to similar 
facilities for drug abuse. All of these kids were born and brought up in 
Holbrook and come from decent homes with other children in the house. Drugs 
are not an issue of class; they involve everyone and don't care how much or 
how little you have.

These kids are addicted to Oxycondine, or OC's as they are referred to on 
the street. OC's are time release painkillers that perform a real function 
for thousands of Americans, if used as prescribed.

The kids have found another way to use them. They crush and either snort or 
inject them. Crushing destroys the time release capability of the drug and 
gives an instant high.

The downside of this drug is its potency. It's as bad as heroin or cocaine. 
It takes three to five days of intense drug and physiological therapy 
before an individual is ready to begin the healing process.

Can it be done without professional help? Sure, but you're playing with 
fire. The death rate among those who try is extremely high.

My daughter has lost her job and her health insurance. The only way to have 
her treated is to either pay for it out of our savings or have her put on 
welfare (which allows a maximum of a 31 day stay) and have all of you pay 
for it

I paid $5,600 last night for two weeks of treatment, and this is just the 
beginning. We were advised that her best chance for recovery was to be in 
treatment for eight to 16 weeks , and we could expect the treatments to 
cost us in the vicinity of $25,000. We will beg and borrow what we need to 
try and give her the best chance of total recovery.

We've made some very difficult decisions in the last day or so. She was 
told that once she comes home, if there is another occurrence, she's on her 
own. Yes, I'll throw her out of my home. She can come back only if she is 
clean and stays clean. "Once an addict, always an addict."

Her life is going to be difficult at best. She won't be able to take a 
painkiller for anything that may happen to her in the future, and if she 
does, there's a strong chance of a relapse.

We will have to spend the rest of our days worrying about everything she 
does, where she is, what she's doing, and who she's with. There will always 
be that unspoken question in our minds.

Where did these drugs come from? From the streets of Holbrook, your 
neighborhood and mine! My daughter has numerous sources within a mile of 
our home where she cuts deals to feed her habit. Her friends and her 
dealers. How does one go about separating friend from foe? We now suspect 
everyone.

These dealers have many friends: those that use and those that don't. This 
is a very close group, and no one will "rat out" their friends, regardless 
of what may happen.

This past summer, a young girl overdosed at home on drugs she took at a 
home in Holbrook, and she's dead. Just this one life is too much. The 
police have their hands tied, since if they pick someone up, that's all 
they get: just one dealer, not the entire chain.

Do you know where your children are? Do you know who they are? Do you know 
who they're with? Do you check their cellphones occasionally for names you 
don't know? Do you know what signs to look for?

If you can't answer yes to all of these questions, your child may be on the 
same path as my daughter. Please do something before it's too late. Drug 
abuse has reached epidemic proportions.

Name Withheld