Pubdate: Sun, 05 Aug 2012
Source: Alton Telegraph, The (IL)
Copyright: 2012 The Telegraph
Contact:  http://www.thetelegraph.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1207
Author: Danette M. Watt

RALLY SPREADS ANTI-HEROIN MESSAGE

Barbecue Raises Awareness of Drug's Fatal Consequences

COTTAGE HILLS - Drug addiction affects not just addicts but the ones 
who love them.

It changes relationships and sometimes it takes hold of other family 
members. Those in recovery say the need to raise awareness of 
addiction is an important step.

Jamie Brandt took that step Saturday when she and several friends - 
all members of the Madison County Heroin Awareness Recovery 
Prevention group - threw a barbecue at VFW Post 7678 in Cottage 
Hills. Brandt planned to have informational brochures on hand. A 
scheduled presentation by Madison County Coroner Steve Nonn had to be 
cancelled.

Brandt, of St. Louis, said she wants her 12-year-old son, Jaden, to 
be aware of the dangers of drugs so he will make good choices in his life.

Brandt said she had arthritis and became addicted to prescription 
drugs. When that ran out, she came in contact with someone and ended 
up doing heroin.

According to Madison County State's Attorney Tom Gibbons' website, 
the Coroner's Office investigated 54 drug overdose deaths last year. 
Of those deaths, 26 were heroin-related, 18 were attributed to 
prescription drug abuse and the remaining 10 were attributed to other 
combinations of illicit drugs and alcohol. Gibbons and Nonn found 
many heroin abusers also were abusers of prescription drugs and see a 
critical link between prescription drugs and heroin abuse.

Nathan Chester's 21-year-old sister, LynnAnn, died of an overdose in 
April, leaving behind a 2-year-old daughter as well as grieving family members.

"She struggled with this for a long time," he said. "It was hard and 
frustrating to watch because nothing seemed to get through to her."

He came across Brandt's Facebook MCHARP page and contacted her.

"Our goal as an organization is to provide a forum, to inform people 
and, today, entertain them. We're not a rehab group," he said.

Lisa M. of Alton is a member of Narcotics Anonymous and a recovering 
addict. She also saw Brandt's post on Facebook and showed up at the 
barbecue to help raise awareness.

"I lost several people in my NA group to heroin. I want to play a big 
part in NA's outreach and 12-step awareness. I told my mom I think it 
would be good for everyone to work a 12-step program," Lisa said.

Lisa started using drugs when she was 10, eventually ending up on 
crack and cocaine. Six years later she tried to get clean but it took 
16 years before she was able to. At 44, she said she's been clean 
about five years and lives in an Oxford House for women. Oxford House 
and Oxford House Nameoki are self-supporting, self-governing group 
homes in Alton.

Lisa's mother, Kitty M., of Wood River, said it was "tough to watch" 
her daughter go down a path of destruction. Once, when Lisa was 35 
and living next door to her, Kitty happened to look out her kitchen 
window and saw her daughter freebasing coke.

"We went through 20-plus years of her addiction. I practiced a lot of 
tough love, I kicked her out. There was a lot of heartache. But now 
it's a difference between night and day," Kitty said.

Lisa said she entered Chestnut Health System's Adult Chemical 
Dependency Treatment in Granite City and got clean.

"You need a sponsor, a good support system and a network of other 
people to help you through it," she said.

Lisa's boyfriend, Mike, is a recovering heroin addict, as is his 
28-year-old son. He believes if he were still an addict, his son 
would be too and it's possible neither would survive their addiction.

"There are too many young people dying," Kitty said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom