The goals of AHDAD
are threefold:
First, to help educate Missouri citizens about the evils of heroin addiction and the
devastating consequences it can have on families, friends, loved ones, and the community.
Second, to change the perception of heroin addicts from "so what, they're just
junkies" to one of understanding and compassion.
Third, with the grace of God, to inspire other land owners and farmers to provide
recovering non-violent addicts--in exchange for doing chores or helping with farming--with
a place to heal and a path to a new life in a drug-free environment.
Goal one – Education.
Heroin addiction is a disease. The goal of drug dealers is to keep their customers coming
back by making sure they sell potent drugs. That way, after only one "try," a
heroin user can become addicted immediately. Although initially the person made a bad
decision to "try" heroin, once addicted, they may want to or try to stop, but
physically it is almost impossible. After our son’s funeral, one addict who just
completed rehab told my wife, "It’s like air. Once your brain experiences it,
you need it to breathe."
I’ve been told by lawyers, police officers, and drug counselors that the probability
of an addict having a relapse after completing a two-week, court ordered rehab is close to
95%. While two weeks in rehab may allow the body to adjust to the void created by heroin,
it is not enough time to cleanse the system of the poison of addiction or the shame and
pain of being a "junkie." After their release, many addicts find themselves
without a job or a place to stay, so they return to what’s familiar to
them…their addiction. To support their addiction, they turn to crime--stealing,
shoplifting, or prostitution. Eventually these addicts land in prison…or even
worse…on a slab in the morgue.
How do you recognize a
loved one’s addiction?
- Old
friends are replaced by new "friends."
- They spend a lot of time alone in their room
- Although previously friendly and outgoing, they have little or nothing to say
- They vomit frequently after coming home and blame "bad junk food" for making
them sick
- They have a job, but always seem to be broke the day after payday
- They start borrowing money but don't pay it back
- Loose change, money and small items disappear from the house
- They become convincing liars
Goal two – Perception.
Addicts are more than "just junkies." They are loved ones—sons, daughters,
grandchildren, spouses, friends, co-workers, or neighbors. Most heroin addicts can and
want to be saved. They don’t want to be society's throwaways. Understanding the
impact heroin has on a person is the first step in helping an addict to get and stay
clean.
Once an addict has undergone the most painful period of detoxification, he needs a place
to heal. This can take anywhere from three to 18 months or longer depending on the
environment a recovering addict is exposed to while trying to stay clean. For some it
becomes a life long struggle.
Goal three – Action.
Want to help? Close to home is a good place to start. Perhaps you, a friend or neighbor
knows someone with an addiction. Reach out and let them know that you care and want to
help.
I firmly believe rehab can work, but it takes a long time and most addicts can't afford
it. I also believe, as we become more informed and understand the cycle of heroin, how
evil and destructive it is, we can and will help heroin addicts get their lives back.
We need to call evil by its name. One of the evils in drug addiction is shame. My goal is
to help the thousands of families suffering, whether through addiction itself, or watching
a loved one fight and die. We need to comfort each other and know that we are not alone.
After having lost my only son to this evil disease, I'm dedicated and committed to help
other parents and loved ones from losing one of their own.
Together we can fight this evil, overcome the shame, and focus our energy on enforcing or
changing the laws. Our elected officials need to know that they will be voted out unless
they stop showing leniency to heroin dealers. They need to quit making deals with these
people. The majority of heroin dealers are not users, yet they claim to be in order to get
rehab instead of jail time. The standard of the courts should be no deals.
We
can no longer suffer in silence. We've already been touched by this evil. We've lost loved
ones and can't bring them back. But we can work to save the next victim, the next family.
We can bring the evil out of the shadows.
Write letters, make phone calls, send e-mails. Tell our politicians, judges, and police
officials that the evil must be wiped out. Tell them the heroin dealers are a big part of
the problem and to make "jail a heroin dealer a day" a priority.
Here are some good places to voice your concerns:
Missouri House of Representatives
Missouri State Senate
Attorney
General's Office
Missouri Revised Statutes Chapter 195 Drug Regulations
Reach out to help relieve the pain and shame--call evil by its name.
Heroin
did this!
