Don’t blame family for person’s choice

In response to the Feb. 29 letter, “Don’t spend a dime on drug addicts”:

While I understand the writer’s frustration at the drug problem, I have to raise an objection to the line ” these hard-core addicts are their families’ problem and should be dealt with as such.” I assume he means that families of drug addicts should bear the brunt of their family member’s addictions.

Well, I have a heroin addict in my family. I’m assuming the writer has not experienced this. Believe me when I tell you that in no way did my family condone, encourage, endorse, or do anything else but be dragged kicking and screaming into the realm of drug addiction. We were helpless to stop what was one person’s decision to involve himself in all manner of addictive behaviors. We have been victims of behaviors that have been difficult at best, dangerous at worst. There is no more hopeless feeling than watching someone flush their life down the toilet when you can do nothing.

I don’t know the answer to the problem. What I do know is that one person’s decision to be in that lifestyle is their decision. Most families cannot afford the cost of rehab, especially repeatedly. Legally, a family has very few options in dealing with drug addiction or mental illness.

The drug problem won’t be solved until we, as a society, find some way to effectively balance the ideas of personal responsibility (maybe some form of work should be required to pay for state-paid rehab?), quit making drugs and alcohol use so “sexy” (the way it’s portrayed in many entertainment venues), effective education (not scare tactics), and increase the peer pressure that says unequivocally, “Drug use is not accepted.” As long as we find it funny, sexy, or a viable way to “party,” it’s not going to go away.

Denise Foster

Snohomish