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| By G. Michael Dobbs Managing Editor CHICOPEE In the midst of a summer program of fun and activity four young women brought a serious message to the Chicopee Boys and Girls Club. Four "ambassadors" of the national Library of Addictions from Brookline spoke frankly to about 50 children about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Using their first names only the four young women, all in their early twenties, spoke about how they started using drugs and how their addictions have affected their lives. Prior to the event Dr. P.S. Kishore, an addiction expert who founded the National Library of Addictions, said the average age of an addict in this country has dropped from 39 to 21. He has treated an eight-year-old child for substance abuse. This program was part of Kishore's "Clean Summer Series" in which patients in his treatment program participate in eight discussions with children in different parts of the state. Lorraine, a counselor who is a recovering addict, led the conversation. She told the children that addiction is a real disease that can be prevented by being aware. She said they should always ask themselves where they are, how are they are feeling, who they are with and what they are doing doing. If they ask themselves these questions and find they are around drugs, they need to leave. "To be aware is to be alive," she stressed. Jackie, age 20, started smoking marihuana and drinking at age 15. "It seemed like fun and games," she said. Two months ago she decided to change her lifestyle and entered a detox program. Like the other young women she lives in a "sober house," where she is turning her life around. Kathy, also 20, had been an OxyCondit addict for three years. She said that at first the drug made her feel carefree, but after a few months of use she couldn't function. "I couldn't get out of bed," she recalled. Kathy added that she knew that drug use was bad, but that "made it more exciting." Several trips to detox programs didn't help and it was only when she started stealing to buy drugs that she knew she had to stop. "I never thought my life would turn out like this," she said. Shannon, a 23-year-old heroin addict, said that staying away from alcohol and drugs would be a life-long process for her. Her addiction started with "an innocent beer or smoking a joint on the weekend." She said that her use of drugs came from curiosity rather than peer pressure. She came from a "happy middle class family" and went to private schools where she was elected class president. She started using drugs at age 13 and was hooked on OxyCondit by age 18. Later, she used heroin. "I never thought my life would turn out like this," she said. When it was time for questions, the children had plenty from "What is cocaine?" to "How bad is smoking?" Several children related stories from their own life in which they've been exposed to substance abuse. Kishore asked the children what they wanted to be when they grew up. The response came with dozens of raised hands and answers from video game designer to police officer. Kishore reminded them that by using drugs they wouldn't be able to reach their dreams and aspirations. |