I sometimes get the sense that there is a parallel universe besides this one, and I am not sure which one is real. In one, the kids grow up safely, and every premature death is cause for alarm that generates immediate effective action by the community. In the other universe, kids in their teens are dying in ever-increasing numbers, and only their family members and a few close friends react with alarm. After a few weeks each death is forgotten and life goes on– for some. The parents and siblings of the children who lose their lives somehow stumble forward, living the rest of their with the horrible realization of this second universe– the one that they didn’t know about until it was forced upon them.
My heart goes out to any parent who has found the way to this blog. If it is not too late, take the situation– the addiction of a child to pain pills- in the most serious way possible. If you have the resources to move to the middle of nowhere– a place where there is not a significant problem with opiate addiction, if such a place even exists– just go. Take severe and drastic measures.
I wanted to share two things that I heard about today. The first is that there are several ‘sober schools’ in Wisconsin- Charter high schools for students who have been through addiction treatment. I figure that it is tough to get a kid to go to such a high school… but in the case of opiate dependence the teen should not be given a choice in the matter. The risks of death are simply too high for a teenager to comprehend.
The second thing is a web site devoted to preventing prescription pain pill use by teens, with a focus on Florida. The memorial page— or more accurately pages– are quite moving.
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