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Show utmi sTAin ir.r.r-r- . a- --I euu 1 " - - s - ' " ' " - - T- . Native Texan ' ,s n 1J I. A , shares V b" recipesC1 'V ' ft - in. t Davis Tl" , tc, ' f-- Garn&f lout Wy.rt i S ftULK RATI PAID Pusltj Permit no 6 I cryton utob b404 WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 1985 teenagers and young adults. "But more, By GARY R. BLODGETT News Editor It started with a few puffs from a joint" she found in her brothers bedroom. Today, Debbie is a drug addict - and will be a drug dependent for the rest of her life. -- DEBBIE IS in her early 20s and has been a heavy drug user - and peddler - for the past r rehabilitation six years. Shes in a program now and doing all that she can to prevent other teenagers from going through the drug hell she has experienced. Debbie was only 14 when she first experienced drugs, but by the time she was in high school Debbie was hooked on hard drugs especially cocain. And by now, she was peddling to her classmates to support her habit and make some extra money. IT WAS "big business for Debbie. She was a top dealer in one of Davis Countys one of several dealers groshigh schools sing $500 to $1,000 per day. Dealers had their own way of doing things, Debbie explained. I preferred working from my car which I parked in the school parking lot or nearby. Others peddled inside the school - in the halls, in secluded areas of the building, in restrooms, and even in classes. SHE EMPHASIZED that she and other dealers are just that - dealers. We were not pushers. We did not force the drugs on anyone, but we did make them available to anyone who wanted them - from marijuana to LSD and cocain, she told this writer in an exclusive interview. I didnt think at the time that I was doing anything wrong, she said. "I wasn't pushing drugs, holding parties, or providing other inducement for students to get started. Drugs were prevalent, and I made them available for a nice profit. HOWEVER, after being out of the drug system for a while Debbie has different feelings. I know now that what I was doing was wrong and Im interested in helping others to quit the habit or, if possible, never to get started, she said seriously. SPEAKING of her future, Debbie thought seriously before answering. I know that I will always be dependent on drugs. This means that I will always crave having the feeling offered by drugs, but hopefully the rehabilitation program Im in will keep me from being hooked again. SHE SAID she will always be a drug addict dependent on drugs - but not a user of drugs. Debbie has one more year of a rehab program that she must strictly follow - or she will be expelled from the program and out on her own. Being on your own is something no addict can afford, she said sternly. Drug addiction is a disease and it takes doctors, counselors, concerned parents and a supreme being to get you through it and going straight again. Addicts of hard drugs who think otherwise are just fooling themselves. -- -- two-yea- - -- -- -- - -- two-ye- much more, has to be done, she pleaded. The drug problem in Davis County among teenagers and young adults is very, very serious--an- d getting worse, according to all the drug experts this writer has contacted. DEBBIE thought seriously and then noted that when she was a peddler in high school a few years ago there were perhaps as many as 00 users in each school - those w ho were using it on a periodic or regular basis." The number would be even higher when "experimental users were taken into account, she said. Was one high school worse than another? Was it more prevalent among those from wealthier families? -- 1 DEBBIE DIDNT have to ponder over these questions. The answers were easy. (1) All high schools - and junior high -- schools - have serious drug and alcohol problems among their studentbodies. Where one school might be worse in one aspect of the problem, another school would be worse in another aspect of the problem. There are many high school students using hard stuff - cocain, LSD and other hard drugs most of the junior high students on drugs are using marijuana. Even clementarstudents are known users - and a y-age dealers. few are known small-tim- e -- -- -- (2) USERS, DEBBIE pointed out, are from rich and poor families; religious and nonreligious families; and from all types of family backgrounds. Where do they get money to buy these drugs? drug-addicte- d -- school lunch ticket. At that price, any student could get started," she said. Later, students begin to buy pot in larger amounts and separate it resell it to others for a higher price. MARIJUANA is now selling This is about double $30 for a quarter-ouncwhat it cost a few years ago," she said. Students get started on cheap joints of marijuana and then use harder and harder drugs - and more of it - until they become hooked on the hard stuff. Thats when it becomes extremely expensive. Debbie said she was spending as much as $3,000 a week to support her habit of cocain. She said she got her money by wheeling and dealing drugs, lying, manipulating and getting others to invest in cocain." -- -- GETTING others to invest was the most profitable," she said. Investors would pay for the drugs purchased and then the drugs would be resold at a tremendous profit for the investors as well as myself." Users would get money from keeping their lunch money, allowances, part-tim- e work and from coning their parents or friends out of money they said was needed for another purpose. LITTLE BY little they could get enough to buy the pot they wanted," said Debbie. But that was only the beginning. 1700 W., Layton, Sunday at 7 p.m.; call Connie at work, 7773516 or home, 470 Medical Drive, Bountiful, Tuesday 8 p.m.; call Mary Kay, or Elaine, Lee, South Branch Library, 725 S. Main, SAVE FOR YOUTH or Lynn, Bountiful, Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.; call Dave, 544-829- 292-212- 295-376- 5; 1 By GARY R. BLODGETT - 7 3. DEBBIE ADMITS to being very, very deep into hard drugs, especially cocain - even to the point of overdosing, and almost dying. She was on a four-da- y binge, with absolutely nothing to eat and only a few hours sleep. Over a period of time her weight had dropped nearly 50 pounds from 130 to just over 80 DEBBIE ended up in the hospital but she was screaming and kicking as she entered the emergency room. Even then she didnt believe that she was a drug addict. While in the hospital, she had coke (cocain) smuggled into her which she used during her week-lon- g stay. DEBBIE WAS busted only once pounds. during her six years as a dealer and had only one prior field investigatDAYS AM) nights were spent smoking, sniffing and even mainlining" ion after which she was freed. She said the arrest on a drug charge with hard drugs. But Debbie found out I that even the experienced drug user was a result of being implicated. really wasn't involved in that particulcan overdose - and die. she said. She explained that she had been high ar incident, on cocain for three days. This being DEBBIE WAS in jail for two weeks the fourth day 'he felt like she needed and then faced a prison term or rehabileven more. I decided on the easy way itation. DEBBIE M AS with another couple out and agreed to participate in a shot into the program, she said. when she "fired up" Since Debbie had pretty well dried vein once too often and went into convulsions. Luckily she was not out in jail - where she couldnt get that it took only about a month alone because her heart stopped and it drugs . drug-depende- nt - - ate $5 million By GARY R. BLODGETT towards a regional bed resource center to be used h the county as a minimum secur-i- t facility by the state. The State Legislatuie appropriated S5 million towards the region11 News Editor FARMINGTON - Davis Coun- ty still intends to go ahead with construction of a new jail orexpan-sioof its existing jail but the county will have to do it on its ow n. n center and a diagnostic fjulity - which was to be slightly Ic'S than the total amount f al 90-da- y one-hal- Enjoy Reading Cyclops of the On Page Davis County Clipper Two I THIS WAS the decision last week when County Commissioners were informed that the Utah Attorney Generals of detoxation at the rehab center. Editor -- Alternative Plaits 451-550- 7. 773-736- 292-950- Survives OB e. Heres the schedule of SAVE (Substance Abuse Volunteer Efforts) meetings along with names of those having more information; - 2250 N. Photographer Ron Boswell. required resuscitation to get her heart beating again. Vs I didnt even realize what was happshe said. I was so high on ening, is a Debbie lucky young woman. She all I wanted was to stay high that overdosed on cocain and lived to tell drugs more drugs. But my body even with for about about it. wouldnt take it. SAVE Clinics Announced SAVE FAMILIES POSE for drug sale. Photo by Clipper Lucky User DEBBIE noted that you can buy a joint of marijuana for as little as $1 - the price of a -- DEBBIE SAID she is a strong supporter of agencies snd individuals who devote their time and talent to aiding TEENAGERS Office has ruled it unconstitutional for the Utah State Legislature to appropri lor the two projects. NOW, I) VMS County will have to build a new jail, or expand its existing jail, w ithout state funding. To do this, Davis County's budget NOW SHE must follow a strict term. two-ye- ar Ive learned to talk the walk admit to others that I am and will conand now Im tinue to be an addict walk admit it to talk to the learning yourself and do something about it, she said. DEBBIE emphasized that excessive use of drugs and alcohol is a disease must be treated as a disease. She attends clinics at the rehab center about four times a week. After another year of this schedule, I will attend as I feel the need. But they will always be there to help. DEBBIE has a new outlook on life herself. Im worth more than drugs and have regained my and The only thing I get high on is myself. I haven't really changed. Im just back to being myself. nd self-estee- m self-respe- LIKE DEBBIE says: - somebody -- Today Im myself. Im For Jail will more than double, according to Commission Chairman Glen Saunders. We noted that the county's annual revenue is about $8 million from property tax and an additional $1 million from fees. An equal amount - between $9 million and is received annually $10 million from state and federal funds. -- d TO BUILD a new jail -with plans to expand to between 300 and 364 beds - the cost will be $12 to $13 million. Its easy to see 2(X)-be- -- treat- ment program for another year. Shes been in the program one year of the that the countys budget would more than double, the commission chairman said. What are the alternatives? COMMISSIONERS and most of the fact-findin- g com- mittee agree that an enlarged jail, or a new facility, are badly needed - and needed immediately. Com. Harry Gerlach noted that a r mill levy placed on Davis -- one-yea- Continued page two |