Gee: Those that love addicts know treatment is the only way forward

Remember your first set of friends growing up? Mine just so happened to be my cousins. Derrell and Daniel were my best friends.

When I was about five years old, my dad would say, “Hey, we are gonna go to Derrell and Daniel’s house.” It was the equivalent of going to Disneyland.

I can’t remember what I ate for lunch yesterday, but I can remember going to my cousin’s house at a really young age. Derrell was one year older, and Daniel was one year younger than me.

My grandmother (Mama Scott) lived there, along with my Aunt Darlene (Derrell and Daniel’s Mom). This was on the south side of Chicago in a complex called Parkway Gardens. It’s gone now, but back in the early 80s, there was a seesaw out front that I loved.

Gee on Nerf Wars: ‘Don’t do this in Gig Harbor if you look like me’

One of the main reasons I loved going over there is because of my Aunt Darlene. Ahh, she was (still is) the most beautiful woman. I’m telling you, she would walk into any room and would command attention. I don’t remember eating anything but fried chicken when I was there.

Let me be specific, she would make me chicken wings and always tell me how handsome I was and how much she loved me. To this day, when I have chicken wings, I think about Aunt Darlene.

Fast forward to the present day, and one of the problems that still exists in our country is drug consumption. According to the CDC, drug overdose deaths rose from 38,329 in 2010 to 70,237 in 2017 and have remained steady through 2019. Then, in 2020 we saw a significant increase, with 91,799 reported deaths.

From 1968-2020, 1,106,859 have died from drug overdose in the United States. Wait, how does that happen? President Nixon declared a War on Drugs in 1971, so you’d think we wouldn’t have the problem that we have today.

Let’s check the receipts. In 1972 there were 6,622 overdose deaths. Then in 1980, there were 2,492 overdose deaths. That’s when the increase continues. So, if there was a War on Drugs, why didn’t that stop the problem? Well, let’s look up what the word “war” means.

War: a state of usually open and declared armed hostile conflict between states or nations

: a period of such armed conflict

: weapons and equipment for war

: a state of hostility, conflict, or antagonism

: a struggle or competition between opposing forces or for a particular end

So was the war on the problem, or was the war on the people?

I’ll let you answer that. Also, what is it about a war that brings in so much money? The U.S. spent $56 billion a year on the war on drugs, spending over $1 trillion in 50 years. All that money is spent, and we are really slim with the amount of drug treatment services in this country.

More than 54% of voters approve King County Crisis Care Center levy

Then I hear folks say, “Well, why don’t they get help?” Well, most of the time, it’s financial reasons, stigma, and sometimes geographic location.

Another problem is how outdated we are with the discussion centered around drugs. For the most part, we are still repeating what Nancy Regan said, “Just say no!”

Yeah, so how’s that working? It’s not. And for over 50 years, the inaction by our Federal Government has us where we are today.

Drug treatment shouldn’t just be accessible to those that are financially able. Drugs touch all of us, whether we use drugs or not — our family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, or acquaintances.

Let me take this time to apologize right now. I’m sure some of my family will be upset with this next part, but this is what’s on my heart. If you’ve listened to me on the radio, then you’ve heard my stance on this drug issue. What you don’t know is why I speak on it this way.

I never saw my aunt use drugs. I was a kid, so how would I know? Well, I knew by listening to what adults were saying. It must have been pretty bad cause anytime I would hear her name, it was always connected to the discussion about drugs. Back then, it was crack.

I was really confused, though. I was confused because every time I would see her, she would always say, “Hello, my handsome nephew.”

I always felt so much love. As a matter of fact, I remember she was dating a guy by the name of Derek. He worked on the radio.

Well, one night, he said the names of my cousin and me, and I thought that was soooo cool. Maybe the seed was planted then that one day I would be on the radio myself.

Through her addiction, she still loved everyone. That was my lesson on drug addiction. Sure, there’s drug addiction, but inside, there’s still a beautiful soul. A soul that’s fighting something that needs so much help.

I speak passionately about this for the love of my Aunt Darlene. Do you know that no matter what, she makes sure to text me on my birthday? And she was the first to text me this year.

My heart goes out to any of you that have lost loved ones due to drugs. I’m sure it’s not easy.

My hope and prayer is that there is a dramatic increase in drug treatment facilities. Individuals struggling with addiction need access to quality treatment programs. Period!

While we treat those that are fighting, we also need to improve education. There needs to be more education about the harms and risks of drugs, and I’m not talking about the one annual school assembly. It needs to be put into our school curriculum. There has always been a battle (war) on the supply but not on the demand. We address the demand through more education.

I will continue to use my platform to help with the drug problem in this country, and I will also use my platform to remind my Aunt Darlene how much I love her. You are still the most beautiful woman in the world, and I love your heart. I know you love me and everyone else, Auntie.

Listen to Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin weekday mornings from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

Follow @twitter.com/geescottsr