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It’s up to us to fight drug problems

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I am 71 years old and grew up in Montana. I only left for 8 years when I chose to join the Marine Corps in 1965. When I was going to high school in Browning I saw people freeze to death in that town from getting drunk and passing out on the street.

I spent the last 18 years of my working life serving as a chemical dependency counselor both in Cascade County and Lake County. I grew up in an alcoholic home where both parents were abusive and who spent all their spare time getting intoxicated. After my divorce in 1980 my own alcoholism kicked in. The reason I decided to sober up in 1983 was because I was in threat of losing my carpet installing job because my customers could smell alcohol and did not want me in their homes doing that work.

To my benefit a friend belonged to an organization called Alcoholics Anonymous.  I remember my first meeting when I said I wanted them to help me get my drinking under control. They all said they would do that, which I soon found out that wasn’t going to work out.had to make a decision. Did I want to lose my career or completely stop all alcohol use? It was being held accountable and that I could not control my alcohol use that I had only one choice. I quit drinking and my life changed with the support of my AA supporters.

I decided to become an addiction counselor in 1993 because I thought I might help others who suffered this disease. I taught the same methods that helped me and learned about thinking problems and the solutions to these problems.held my clients accountable and taught them the choice was theirs, not their PO or all the judges they faced.

I never thought that in my lifetime I would see what is happening in our world. Alcohol was a major problem as I grew up but now we are taken over by the drugs coming over our southern border. Our government will not address our problem due to the money issue. They only pass laws that will not stop our problem.

It is up to us. Most families in Lake County are mixed up either through family members or the entire family is using these poisons. We as humans were not intended to get high. We were created to do good things. If you have a child or other relative who is abusing these poisons you must call them to their responsibility and hold them accountable.am trying to start a free treatment group in the center of the area so people who would like to check it out have easy access. The local, state or federal government cannot and will not address the problem that is destroying the people here. We all have to be held accountable and also need to speak to those we know are putting these toxic chemicals into their God given minds and bodies. If it continues it will only take more lives. Thank you and may God bless you all.

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