| I spoke to a kid this week at the request of his | | | | told me that on the previous week-end, he had |
| mother. He was a great looking boy and seemed | | | | downed 5 ecstacy pills at once. He then dropped |
| alert and was definitely willing to speak to me. His | | | | eight powerful ADHD pills. (Stimulants) |
| mother told me that he was out of control and had | | | | He said, "I guess went a little overboard, didn't I?" I |
| been busted at his school for possession of eight | | | | looked at him and asked how he had felt afterward. |
| ecstasy pills. | | | | "They had to help me get to the car and I passed |
| If I had not dealt with so many addicts, I would have | | | | out, but I was spazzing out the whole night." We |
| had a hard time believing that this was an addicted | | | | went over how close he had been to a lethal dose |
| teen. He had turned 15 years old the week-end | | | | of drugs and he seemed impressed. |
| before I arrived, and was alert and willing to talk to | | | | This kid is beyond a simple talk, and as we did not |
| me. | | | | have any empty beds in the facilities I normally refer |
| I started by talking to the parents and the boy | | | | to, I suggested a twelve-step program that has a |
| together. We spoke for about 30 minutes. We went | | | | good rep for dealing with youngsters and, very |
| over some ground rules, such as: What we say in | | | | importantly, is a long-term detox rehab program that |
| counseling is confidential unless it is information that | | | | does not just throw more drugs at the problem. |
| shows a threat to the health or immediate personal | | | | Not too unexpectedly, the kid went out partying a |
| safety of some person. | | | | couple of weeks later and his parents are now |
| Also, I am not there to convince the addict to do or | | | | setting up the trip to rehab. But the truth is, this kid |
| not do anything. I am only attempting to convey | | | | is not going to ever come back 100%. There has |
| truth about drugs and their effects. Any decisions on | | | | been permanent damage to his nervous system. |
| whether to use or not use drugs are for the addict | | | | This is where the moral of the story should go, but |
| to make. (Really, that is going to have to happen if | | | | quite honestly, the only thing I can get from this one |
| drug addiction is ever to be overcome.) | | | | is the vital importance of drug education and |
| Then we broke away and the parents left the living | | | | effective drug abuse prevention at an early age. |
| room so the boy and I could speak. We talked for a | | | | Waiting until a person is so completely out of control, |
| couple of hours and I was shocked a few times. I | | | | and is addicted to just being 'bent' all the time, |
| rarely get shocked anymore, but this kid did it. He | | | | obviously is a failed strategy. |