A concerned parent from Gilbert, Ariz.
I am a mom of a recovering addict! My son became addicted at a very young age without me even realizing through prescription drugs. As a young child he would always get codeine prescribed for his colds, than when he was 14 he had all his wisdom teeth pulled and was given Percocet. Marijuana was also an issue as well. Then, when he turned 21 and was of legal age to drink he thought he did not have a problem with alcohol, but the alcohol like any drug led him back to his cheapest high -- the heroin. I wish [people] to understand that it is like any addiction such as alcohol it may have been a choice in the beginning, but it than becomes an allergy!...
It is not easy to quit and many have no support system because they have burned all their bridges. If family and friends could understand it as a disease and be more compassionate and loving regardless if they seem to be un-loveable. They may have done a lot of awful things, but still are a human being and deserve to be treated with dignity. I wish society to understand that legalizing marijuana is ludicrous it is a gateway drug and if you ask anyone with an addiction they will probably tell you it started with marijuana and alcohol or prescription. We need to make rehabilitation and more programs that last longer than a few days available to all. It takes a minimum of 30 days to help them get a good start.