Pubdate: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 Source: New Haven Register (CT) Copyright: 1999, New Haven Register Contact: http://www.ctcentral.com/cgi-bin/w3com/start?ctcentral+FrontPage Forum: http://www.ctcentral.com/ Author: Bonita Grubbs WAR ON DRUGS BEING FOUGHT IN COMMUNITY Is there anything good about substance abuse? I think not. It holds people hostage to an ugly, craving-controlled present, arrests their plans for the future and ruins their quality of life. It can also result in institutionalization or incarceration if the abuse is protracted or connected to criminal behavior. If that is not enough, it has a negative impact on others. Children, family members and friends are held captive and suffer tremendous and traumatic economic, social and spiritual distress. Employers' cost of doing business increases because of absences, lateness and decreased productivity. The community at large feels victimized and unsafe. No matter where I turn I see nothing but bad news, except when I come into contact with people committed to the cause of setting people free from the bondage of substance abuse. People continue to care about and commit their lives and professions to reducing the abuse and its devastation. Treatment centers and other supportive services have been established by individuals who believe that clinical relief and counseling will make a difference. Continuous efforts are made to increase availability of treatment beds and improve access to other essential services that attempt to meet current and growing needs. In that regard, new approaches are being considered all the time. Many of them have received both considerable endorsement and opposition. One of them is harm reduction. This approach emphasizes recovery as a process that involves personal struggle, relapse and making lifestyle changes. Another approach is the needle exchange program. New Haven is certainly a national leader; it was one of the first cities in the United States to implement this program. Other cities in Connecticut and throughout the country have followed suit. Not Washington, D.C. Just last week, the U.S. House of Representatives voted down funding for a needle exchange program. In the same action, they also voted down the legalizing of marijuana for medical purposes, an extremely controversial proposal. A new approach mentioned in a recent edition of the Register is the Children Requiring a Caring Community, or CRACK, an organization that started in Anaheim, Calif., and expanded to Chicago. Briefly put, women on drugs who wish to be sterilized are offered a $200 bribe so that babies who are addicted will not be born. Both praise and blame are laid at the feet of the founder, Barbara Harris. These approaches, especially those that are legislative or judicial, produce good results. However, the ones I am drawn to are spiritual in nature. Self-help groups like Alcoholics Anonymous and Christ-centered ministries, like Teen Challenge, have had tremendous success in helping people live alcohol- and drug-free by focusing on spirituality and personal transformation. I believe in these approaches, mainly because of my experience with people in recovery and the power of their testimonies. That is why I want to share information about two New Haven-based efforts. On Aug. 29, an event called "United By Faith, Make a Miracle Happen/Live Drug Free" will take place. It is an opportunity for people of faith to walk from various sections of the city down to the New Haven Green to stand in solidarity with people in recovery and support those who live in environments where substance use and abuse are rampant. It is also a time to show the power of faith in overcoming addiction and celebrate the reawakening that only comes from God and making a spiritual connection. This event is a prelude to the launching of a new undertaking within the Fighting Back antidrug program's overall strategy of working intensively with families in and around public housing, improving and increasing access to treatment and services within the system of care, increasing public awareness and pushing for changes in public policy. Called the neighborhood congregations program, it's aimed at enlisting faith communities in hosting support groups, assisting those who are in recovery with practical issues of daily living like housing and jobs, setting them free from the bondage of drugs and alcohol, increasing neighborhood safety and advocating for change. This program is designed to replace the bad news of spiritual death from addiction with the good news of spiritual life and addiction free existence. That is news I like to hear. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ---- The Rev. Bonita Grubbs is executive director of Christian Community Action, 168 Davenport Ave., New Haven 06519. - --- MAP posted-by: manemez j lovitto