You're the teacher

Jane Jones

Suki Tooley

Oct. 16, 2005

Eng 111

The Drug Addict Life

Celeste Walters was a crack addict. She was a twenty-six year old welfare recipient, and a single mother of four. Her life, as well as her kids’ lives, was filled with despair. Her oldest child Briana, age thirteen, was forced to take care of her younger siblings while their mother was out hustling for drugs by any means necessary. Celeste had been on drugs for quite sometime, at least thirteen years and had no intentions of stopping. Celeste would take long escapades to the crack house, leaving her small children to be attended by her oldest daughter for days on end.

On one particular day, Briana, while trying to cook dinner for her siblings, accidentally caused the house to catch fire. The fire flared out of control, rising from the first floor up into the third floor where the baby laid sleeping in a old broken down drawer of a dresser. All of the other children were able to exit the home unharmed. Briana ran desperately up the stairs into the blazing fire attempting to save her four month old brother. Unfortunately, Briana was unsuccessful in rescuing her brother because the stairs collapsed on top of her, knocking Briana unconscious. Once the fireman arrived they rushed inside, finding Briana’s frail, lifeless body under burning debris, wrapped in a torn blanket. Luckily, the paramedics revived her while rushing into the ER. Seventy-five percent of her body was severely burned from her face to her feet. The other two surviving children, Melinda and Lynndel, were immediately taken into foster care.

The remains of baby Seth’s body were recovered after the fire was finally extinguished. Three days following the fire, the authorities located Celeste. The police were called to a local drug store where Celeste and her cousin Rasheeda loitered. They were high out of their minds, offering people that passed by sex and food stamps in exchange for cash.

Celeste was sentenced and imprisoned for two years in a state correctional facility. She was charged with child neglect and drug felonies. During her two-year imprisonment, Celeste went through a series of detoxifications. Once she successfully served her punishment, she was released back into society. Following her release, Celeste lived in a halfway house for six months, as directed by her probation officer. After her required six-month reprimanding to the halfway house, her children were released back into her custody.

Celeste stayed clean for four months before relapsing back into her old habits. The cycle began all over again. Brianna was force to oversee the well being of her siblings while Celeste got high. The next to the oldest child, Melinda, who was twelve, was brutally raped and beaten to death by Celeste’s pimp. Following this tragedy, in addition to, going through torment in school by her peers due to her burns and facial disfigurements, Brianna, lost all hope, willpower and ambition. The neighborhood kids teased and ridiculed her daily. Brianna killed herself. Celeste found her four days after her suicide. Her motionless body laid stiff in a freezing cold tub of bright red bloody water. The water was still running causing the entire house to flood.

Brianna had used a razor blade to slit both of her wrists, the same razor that Celeste used to cut up her cocaine. Celeste was arrested again, and sentenced to prison with the same charges as before, but with a five-year sentence term. The last of her four children, Lyondell, who was born a crack baby with multiple abnormalities and a violent behavior problem, was bounced back and forth between various foster homes. He became a ward of the state until he was grown.

While Celeste was in prison she found out that she was pregnant with triplets. Celeste promises after her release, she will get her children back and be a better parent this time around.

Parents are the protectors and guardians for their children. Once someone decides to conceive, they are obligated to love, support, and guide their child, unconditionally. Under the United States Constitution, individuals are permitted to decide whether or not to birth a child. It is also the right of an individual to decide on the way their child will be raises. The constitution also provides rights for children. These rights govern the way the child is taken care off and supported. Children have a right to be supported by their parents. The right of support includes maintenance of the children’s food, education, shelter, clothing, and medical care. When parents neglect their responsibilities, or abuse their rights, then they should lose their privileges. Drug addicted parents should not have parental rights because the life and wellbeing of the child is put at risk.

Drugs are defined as chemicals in which produce a physical or psychological effect or alteration in the body. This effect may be therapeutic or non therapeutic in nature. According to the National Drug Control Policy, “Drug addiction is the habitual forming and use of drugs, whereas the user is incapable of functioning without the drugs.”(U.S Department of Health and Human Services)An estimated 19.5 million Americans use illicit drugs. The user becomes dependent on the drug without control of doing anything other then using the drug. There have been occurrences where drug addicted female and males have sold their bodies and even stolen from family members in order to satisfy their drug cravings. Drug addiction involves compulsive seeking to use an addictive substance, regardless of the potentially negative social, psychological, and physical consequences. Social circumstances are highly known for being the cause of someone submitting to drug use. People who have low self-esteem, emotional distress or pressure are more susceptible to turn to control substance use in order to manage the reality or, lack their of their situations.

Many believe that drug addiction is a disease that cannot be cured just as cancer and diabetes. Some people believe that addiction is more prone in individuals who have parents that are or may have been addicts. Though genetics may be a possible outcome of drug addiction; it is more probable that the decision to use drugs came from a lack of willpower. Addiction is a hard temptation to overcome. Just like alcoholism, once a user always a user. Though it is possible for drug addicts to control their drug addiction, the chances of this occurring without several relapses are almost impossible. According to NHSDA, “studies have shown that 54 percent of all alcohol and other drug abuse patients can be expected to relapse, and that 61 percent of that number will have multiple periods of relapse.” It is not unusual for addicts to relapse within one month following treatment, nor is it unusual for addicts to relapse 12 months after treatment; 47 percent will relapse within the first year after treatment (Simpson). The children of addicts shouldn’t have to wait for their parents to conquer their drug addiction before their life can begin. The effect that drugs can have on children born with addiction is heartbreaking. Drugs can be passed along through the addict’s body to the fetus before even being born. This can cause fetal death, a still born birth or a child born with extreme psychological and physical deficiency. Thirty-four percent of “crackbabies” exhibit “extreme emotional and behavioral tendencies along with a low tolerance for frustration, according to a recent study” (Kobre). These kids may have ruthless behavior problems or mental disabilities. Behavioral problems in children of addicts are much greater then those children born without drug addiction. The severity of allowing drug addicts to raise kids are just as great as allowing a child molester to open a day care. Society wouldn’t give someone who has molested children a job in a daycare just because they’ve served their five years in imprisonment. And society certainly wouldn’t allow a convicted rapist coach a female swim team because he says he’s a changed man. Therefore, a parent who has shown that she would rather smoke crack than take care of her children should never be allowed to see them again.

When a child is born into an addict’s home, the life of despair begins. Addicts only crave and desire is for their addiction. Based on the United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency’s, “National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, more than 6 million children lived with at least one parent who abused or was dependent on alcohol or an illicit drug during the year 2001”( ). Drug using parents tend to disassociate and ignore the needs of their children. Addicts often blame their offspring for their drug habits and force them into believing they’re the cause. Users may grant sexual favors in exchange for cash, or permit drug sellers to abuse and mistreat their child for a hit of crack. The measures are unlimited to how far an addict will go for their drug addiction. Children of addicts have been left hungry, dirty and alone because of the addict’s carelessness for anything but their drug addiction. The children of drug abusers are left to fend for themselves. Smaller children that have older siblings yearn for parenting. The youngest of the siblings normally looks towards the older brother or sister for comfort and security. Parents addicted to drugs or alcohol threatens the lives of their children, but more often it affects their minds and hearts. Just as it affected Briana, who was forced to play mommy for her younger siblings, then ultimately kills herself due to the pressure and hopelessness. She never got a chance to be a child. Lots of kids born from addicts have mental and physical handicaps. These kids were most likely born with drug or alcohol addiction, themselves.

Society must keep the child’s interest in mind at all times. Although the parent may sincerely want to change, the child deserves a chance to grow up in a better atmosphere to hopefully live a better life and perhaps become someone better then their parents. According to research conducted by Dr. Timothy Conley, social work researcher and educator, “90 percent of recovering alcoholics will have a relapse at least one time in the four years following sobriety; similar outcomes are probable for addicts as well”(Conley). When a parent drinks, or uses drugs in front of their kids, the child start thinking that this may be the answer to their frustration, and then begin using also. The average age of the first use of illicit drugs (including alcohol) is 12 years, asserts Arlington, VA Police Dept. Children of drug users witness their parents chaotic compulsive behavior. Kids of addicts are more susceptible to social influence and peer pressure to use drugs. Children raised by drug users likely follow in their parents footsteps. The majority of children that do survive their adolescent years, raised by an addict in a chaotic, neglected lifestyle also identifies with having significant mental, criminal and possible suicidal frame of mind. Lots of these children grow up becoming criminals and followers of their parents; they become the burden on society just as their parents. This is how the cycle continues.

Society is severally affected by drug offenders. Our jails are over crowded with drug offenders and our crime rate has sky rocketed. Drug related offenses represent 30 percent of annual admissions to prison for new offenses; and property offenses, the vast majority of which are associated with drug addiction or abuse, represent another 28 percent of annual new offense admissions. According to the Department of Justice, “107,000 people were sent to state prison on drug charges in 1998, representing 30.8 percent of all new state admissions. Drug offenders constituted 57.8 percent of all federal inmates” ( ). The cost of failure to intervene with addicted or substance abusing offenders is increasing the crime rate. National Statistics show that “persons sentenced to prison with a history of drug related offenses have a higher risk then most offenders to commit new offenses, especially drug and property offenses, after release from prison.” It also appears that imprisonment does little to alter patterns of substance abuse”( www.community resourcesforjustic.org). Put something from you here between these quotes“95 percent of imprisoned offenders relapsed within three years of prison release, 85 percent of them within one year.” (Community Resources for Justice, Inc). “It has been estimated that 40 to 60 percent of persons who are recovering from chemical dependence relapse at least once following their first serious attempt at treatment” (NIDA). “Studies have shown that offenders who are actively using drugs are involved in approximately three to five times the number of crime days as non-drug users; thus, relapse tends to accelerate the level of subsequent criminal activity” (NIDA).

Drug addict parents lack the ability to sufficiently take care of their children. No matter if the child is born addicted to drugs or removed from their parents because the parent has been caught abusing drugs, the rights as parents should be relinquished. Addicts should not be allowed to regain custody of their child when the parent had left the child neglected, abused or mistreated the child due to their obsessive need for drugs. A child released back into the home of a drug addict still faces the possibility of being exposed to the same predicaments. Relapse is always a strong possibility for prior drug addicts. Authorities that release the children back to their addict parents are taking a life threatening risk.

Many may argue that drug addicts have right too. The law states that a person that abuses the law looses their rights. Since it is a crime to abuse a child and abuse drugs, then the rights of a drug addict should be demolished. When a drug addict births a child under the influence of drugs they should be instantly removed from the parent’s custody. Just as you loose your rights when you commit a crime, you should loose your parental rights when you birth a child addicted to drugs. This will stop the cycle from the beginning. If children of crack addicts were immediately taken from their parents at birth, then a lot of the stress and despair can be eliminated in society. If done correctly, the child will be placed with loving family members willing to take on full guardianship of the child. If there isn’t a possible family member to take on the responsibilities of raising the child then the child should be taken directly to an adoption agency, where loving parents are awaiting a child. Instead of the child waiting and bouncing around through foster care, they can live in a stable environment.

Individuals who fail to uphold the guidelines or break the laws, should be relinquished of their rights, extremely reprimanded and imprisoned for there crimes. In this case, for crack addicts the concern should be for the safety, wellbeing and future of the child more so, the addict. At the age of 17 the child should be provided with all necessary documentation necessary to the location of their parents in order to seek them if they desire. Nationally, about 1,500 children die each year under circumstances suggestive of abuse and neglect, due to drug addict parents of these children. ( (U.S Department of Health and Human Services)Therefore, In order for children of drug addicted parents to have a fair chance at life without havoc and despair, the best means of successfully intervening would be to terminate the parental rights from the beginning of the child’s birth. This vicious cycle must be broken.

Works Cited

"Children Living with Substance-Abusing or Dependent Parents." NHSDA Report. 2 June 2003. U.S Dept. Of Health and Human Services. 26 Oct. 2005 <http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k3/children>.

Conley, Dr. Timothy B. "Fact Sheets Relapse and Cravings." Dr. Conley’s web site. 24 Jan. 2004. 27 Oct. 2005 <http://drconley.wellplace.com/display_article.asp?article=3378>.

"Crime Prevention Tips - Drugs - Talk With Your Kids About Drugs." Arlington Virginia Police Department. Arlington Virginia Police Department. 28 Oct. 2005 <http://www.co.arlington.va.us/Departments/Police/citizens/reference/crime_prevention/PoliceCitizensReferenceCrime_preventionDrugs-kids.aspxhttp://>.

DARP. 27 July 2005. Institute of Behavioral Research, Texas Christian University. 27 Oct. 2005 <http://www.ibr.tcu.edu/pubs/rechpubs/darp-yr.html>.

Kobre, Ken, ed. "Crack Babies Grown Up." Crack Babies. Gannett Foundation. 26 Oct. 2005 <www.focalpress.com/companions>.

"Returning Inmates: Closing the Public Safety Gap." Community Resources for Justice, Inc. 2001. Gardiner Howland Shaw Foundation. 28 Oct. 2005 <www.kcba.org/druglaw/pdf/Drug-Related_Crime_and_Disorder.pdf/http://crjustice.org/rettex.htm>.

Stocker, Steven. "Men and Women in Drug Abuse Treatment Relapse At Different Rates and for Different Reasons." National Institute on Drug Abuse. 9 Feb. 2005. National Institution of Health. 27 Oct. 2005 <http://WWW.DRUGABUSE.GOV>.

Stocker, Steven. "STUDIES lINK sTRESS AND dRUG aDDICTION." National Institute on Drug Abuse. 15 Feb. 2005. National Institiution of Health. 27 Oct. 2005 <http://WWW.DRUGABUSE.GOV>.

"World Report 2001 U.S." HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH. 2001. Dept. of Human Rigts. 26 Oct. 2005 <http://www.hrw.org/wr2k1/usa/>.