A story out of Londonderry is so typical it would normally go unnoticed. But it exemplifies just the kind of mess addicts find themselves in when actively using. It wasn’t the drama that makes it notable, it was the lack of drama – the plain old everyday in the life of someone with a drug problem. This is exactly the junk that accumulates until finally, hopefully, someone gets treatment.
It started with a call from a concerned citizen. He saw someone who he thought might need help at a local gas station. This was after two in the morning. Police arrived to find a gentleman laying across the seats of his Volkswagen Beetle with the driver’s side door open. William Roberts, 47, was then transported to the ER for detox. His car was subsequently towed and upon release from medical, Mr. Roberts was arrested and had to pay a $2,500 bail. He’s charged with possession of narcotic drugs and unlawful dealing in prescription drugs.
We sometimes refer to these little incidents as wakeup calls. Unfortunately, they don’t always wake someone up. How often have we heard a string of such tales as a user spiraled deeper into addiction? Taking more and more risks while ignoring greater consequences is just the normal path for drug abuse. Mr. Roberts hasn’t been convicted and he may get off of the charges. There’s really no way to know just exactly what his story really is. But he knows. In fact, anyone who has slid down the slope into addiction has a version of it.
The names of the offenders change and the names of the drugs change. But the "life" stays the same.
These types of minor arrests fill police logs across the US. Little vignettes. Little tragedies. Connected to each one is real person. Connected to that person are others who love him/her and have tried to help. When you add up all this misery, it’s an amazing epidemic. That isn’t a life worth living, but it is a life that can be escaped.
