'The grip of addiction is very powerful'

Congrats to Brian and Joanne. Hopefully many more parents, brothers and sisters will come forward as well to share their stories.
There are many programs available for teens as well as adults. The most important thing to remember is the best program IS NOT the most expensive. It's also important to understand that help is only needed after the fact. Teaching our kids should start at an early age at home. And this should continue every year just like school work.
I know this personally and have been an active member of a 12 step group for over 15 yrs. Remember you "are not different" nor an "exception". If you drink it or use it your betting your life on it.

The Lowell Roundtable on Substance Abuse Prevention was formed in 2007 under the auspices of the City Manager's Office to prevent substance use among Lowell's youth and to save the lives of those who are in the midst of addiction. Through the Roundtable the City has received nearly $1 million in substance abuse prevention and intervention dollars to help young people make healthy decisions not to use alcohol or drugs and to help prevent overdoses and death among those who find themselves addicted to opiates. To find out more about the Roundtable and our efforts to save lives, please email me at tgouveia@comcast.net. Unfortunately, addiction touches the lives of so many of us, but there is hope. Please email me to be part of the effort! Tami Gouveia-Vigeant, Chair, Lowell Roundtable on Substance Abuse Prevention

It is very sad how these prescription drugs "hook" children/young adults that are not fully aware of the risks.

My brother and many of his friends developed an opiate addiction at ages 15 - 16 by using the Oxycontin of a mutual friend who was terminally ill with Cancer. Being high was an easy way for them all to cope with their friends addiction.

This particular circle of friends has been battling their addictions for 10 yrs. now. They have all gone their seperate ways but are still battling their addictions. Most have moved on to Heroin at some point or another.

We are trained by TV, media, and pop culture to believe that addicts are "people of the street" who can not fully function in society. But in reality addictions can go unchecked and unnoticed as many addicts are fully functional and the addiction only becomes apparent when a "bottom" is reached.

meant ....their friends illness (not addiction)

I want to thank everyone who was involved in putting on last night's forum. It was incredibly moving and powerful. My heart goes out to the Sullivan family and I thank Mr. Sullivan and Ms. Peterson for their courage in sharing their stories. I can only hope the kids present really hear the message. Thank you again for creating a real atmosphere of shared community and concern for the future of our children.

That is very sad, to lose a child. The only thing I will add though, is that Alcohol causes ten times more deaths and injuries to teens than all other "drugs" combined.
It's unfortunate that people want to choose to be concerned as long as the concern is not focused on their "drug" of choice.

rest in the most peaceful peace colm. you are missed by so many. We mourn you everyday, even those who didnt know you to well. You brought a smile to everyones face and you will be remembered by how much joy and love you brought to everyones lives. Your a beautiful soul who was taken from us way to soon..and i know you are looking down and giving strength to everyone. <3

I watched that kid wrestle. My grandson was his friend. My grandson has learned an important lesson in life but I'm so sad he had to see something like that happen. God Bless the family and God help those who are fighting such a terrible addiction. The best thing folks can do is not to put these souls down but to pray they find the help they need. Addiction is so fierce its hard for someone who hasn't been there to comprehend.

"After graduation, Peterson's son went to a party at the home of a classmate whose dad would buy the kids beer. That night, the dad also provided OxyContin. It was crushed on a mirror. The boys snorted it."

Guy should be in jail!

They need to show this to all high school classes. If it gets to one kid its worth it.

I wish this forum was mandatory for all students to attend at Lowell High during the school. My information is that the Athletic director tried to make it mandatory for anyone who did sports.

The truth is that ALL kids are at risk of developing addiction to prescription drugs.

Please return to Lowell HIgh and talk to all the kids. If even one kid hears you, you have saved a life.

bill wrote:

They need to show this to all high school classes. If it gets to one kid its worth it.

I agree with the above but this presentation in particular is not the one that should be used. The only part of this "training" that was capturing was colm's story. The whole presentation was boring, it dragged on with pointless details, and I honestly didn't learn anything that I didn't already know and some of the information given was incorrect. I felt some of the presenters didn't know what they were talking about and they were just reading statistics from a piece of paper and it was clear. Stats are good but teens need to hear how this is going to affect them and their future. It would've been nice to have a young person share their experience as well. I know it's hard for some people to talk about it but I know they would've been able to find a young person willing to talk. This wasn't catered to young people at all. I definitely expected more from our District attorney and the rest of the peopl in that panel. But I would like to see something of this nature inside our classrooms I think it's very important and neccessary.

its very sad to hear this epecially when these kids are doing drugs and don't care that they are killing them selfs and putting there family through a lifetime of hell

You can't get "hooked" on one Oxycontin pill..Junkies lie and when they OD on prescription medicine it's their own fault. Don't forget about the many legit chronic pain people that get relief from agonizing 24/7 pain.. I know it's a sad story but let's not play blame game here.

ben wrote:

You can't get "hooked" on one Oxycontin pill..Junkies lie and when they OD on prescription medicine it's their own fault. Don't forget about the many legit chronic pain people that get relief from agonizing 24/7 pain.. I know it's a sad story but let's not play blame game here.

Are you sure about that Ben? are you a doctor? have you researched this subject? I am not , however I have read many books on this subject, as I had a drug addicted family memember pass away from addiction and want to learn asm uch Truth as I can.
There is a medical theory out there that beleives it only takes 1 try to push that "addictive trigger". Some people can experiment with drugs and alchol and not become addicts... Some cant.

ben wrote:

You can't get "hooked" on one Oxycontin pill..Junkies lie and when they OD on prescription medicine it's their own fault. Don't forget about the many legit chronic pain people that get relief from agonizing 24/7 pain.. I know it's a sad story but let's not play blame game here.

Who says you can't get "hooked" after one Oxycontin? I have heard that you can MANY times. Isn't there a difference with opiates as pain medication the difference being the medication attacks the pain first and that you don't really get high from them. If you are pain free, you get the "high" that people talk about. I think that's the difference. These stories mention that the kids tried them as recreational drugs.

Some day the police around here will look overseas to see what those countries have done to stop this abuse.

ben wrote:

You can't get "hooked" on one Oxycontin pill..Junkies lie and when they OD on prescription medicine it's their own fault. Don't forget about the many legit chronic pain people that get relief from agonizing 24/7 pain.. I know it's a sad story but let's not play blame game here.

Ben...this has been a learning experience for me as it obviously is to you. Like the article states, these kids are SNORTING the drug. Swallowing a time release pill with a full stomach and a glass of milk is an entirely different story than when the user snorts it.

I have never been so happy to read such a sad article...I've been begging for something to be written about publicly like this. When we were growing up, these drugs were not "drugs" anyone would use. I am learning how to deal with these new drugs only because it was used by a family member and we were blind to it. We never thought in a million years he would ever be someone to snort or inject anything. He wasn't injecting, but snorting Oxi 80's. Thankfully, he is in recovery and not dead. He is now freely speaking with us about this and what happens when you use, drug dreams and cravings. Things we never thought about before...until it happened to us. I agree that they need to have something other than statistics taught to the kids (AND ADULTS) and listen to the people that have been hurt in any way, shape or form by these prescriptions pills as well as "street drugs" that are more commonly known.

I hope the Sun can write more on the topic of prescription drug use to also help parent's and user's overcome. We need to learn so much more...sadly.

ben wrote:

You can't get "hooked" on one Oxycontin pill..Junkies lie and when they OD on prescription medicine it's their own fault. Don't forget about the many legit chronic pain people that get relief from agonizing 24/7 pain.. I know it's a sad story but let's not play blame game here.

You are probably right when the medicine (oxycontin) is consumed properly. Oxycontin contains a very concentrated amount of Oxycodone very similar to Vicadin accept that Oxycontin is designed to "time release" and provide a small even dose of pain releiving opiate over a long period of time. Abusers, crush the tablets, bypassing the functionality of the drug product. The high is simiallar to that of heroin when this is done. And, yes not everyone is on a level playing field for addiction, some are more susceptible than others.

But I think your post is short-sited and innacurate.