To the members of the Portfolio Committee,

Hello, My name is Tami MacKinnon,

When I first started this college writing class I hadn’t been in a class room in over 18 years. I wasn’t really a writer because the only writing I have done since I was in school was writing letters to friends and family. I really didn’t enjoy writing in school maybe it’s because I didn’t have a choice on writing assignments in school. I must say it has been quite an experience doing this college writing class and it’s not what I expected it to be. I was really afraid of the blog at first because I had never used one before. I was also afraid of my classmates being able to read my blog because I’m a very private person. I love my blog now and anyone can read it. My fears of the blog no longer bother me. I actually have choices now and I get to choose what I want to write about. Then I post It on my blog and that makes this class more enjoyable. The theme that I chose for class was family/relationships because there are many topics I can relate to and write about.

The first essay in my portfolio is the memoir essay. I chose to write my memoir on the loss of Falon, we were cousins who grew up like sisters and then became best friends. It was a loss unlike any other that I have ever known. This essay helped me to open up and write about her and the feelings that I was feeling inside. Every moment and every memory keep playing out like a movie in my head, rewind, replay, fast forward and pause over and over the cycle repeats. I don’t want to forget one moment with Falon because I can never get those moments back and that’s my reason for writing this memoir. In this memoir the main point that I focused on was my loss of Falon. I had to learn how to develop scenes with details and I think I accomplished that to a certain extent. I really haven’t had to much of a problem with my grammar and usage of it in my writing.

The next essay I wrote was my ethnography, this is a word that I have never heard of until this class. I used the internet and researched what this essay was. I also looked up samples of ethnography to see their set up and how they work. I decided to do my essay on the only group of people I could observe. They are my high school student’s that I transport home daily on my school van. They really aren’t all that different from the “Average” normal high school student. These student’s all have a love for music and that seems to be at the top of the list in life. I didn’t think I would be able to do this ethnography at first. As I gathered facts I was able to focus more on the essay. I learned how to organize my material for this essay because it was a very structured piece of writing. In the end it turned out to be a fun assignment and I loved writing it.

My third essay on argument was the hardest essay for me to write about. I did a lot of brainstorming trying to find the perfect topic. I decided to do this argument on treating drug abuse with drugs. My focus for this essay was on opioid addiction and the treatment using methadone. If methadone treatment isn’t used correctly it can become another addiction because it’s highly addictive. I always wondered why drug treatment was a choice for treating drug abuse. This essay definitely gave me a challenge in the form of finding sources. I found a lot of sources and had a hard time finding the right ones to use for my essay. Work cited seems to be the most difficult part of this writing class for me on this argument essay.

I started this class not knowing what I was getting myself into. Every step of the way I had to focus and develop a scene on each assignment. I had to organize material for each essay and find sources too. My grammar and usage haven’t been an issue because I was always good at writing correctly. My main problem is work cited for essays and in the future I hope I can do a better job. I learned a lot in this class, I learned that I can write and I am a writer. I may not be the best writer but I am a writer.

I walked into my uncle’s apartment, a small one bedroom place, to an overcrowded room full of grieving broken hearted loved ones and friends. People were everywhere crying, teardrops cascading down their faces like flowing rivers. Most of the other people were embracing and hugging each other so tight, not wanting to let go of each other. Lots of used tissues, rolled into balls, were strewn all over the tables and furniture, clouds of cigarette smoke moving in slow motion through the air, and empty beer cans were all over the place. My uncle was sitting at the table wearing his big blackened out sunglasses drinking a beer and trying to wash away the pain. Men weren’t supposed to break down and cry he thought, until now after losing his first born daughter.

I start thinking about earlier today when I received the call. It was August 18, 2005. I got the call, the call nobody ever wants to get, ever. There had been a bad accident on route 24 North, near exit 10. My aunt Alice said “Falon’s gone she didn’t make it.” “No, I cried,” this can’t be true! I didn’t want to believe it, and I didn’t really believe it right then, until later on when everyone had gathered at my uncle’s.

I broke down and cried like I have never cried before. I looked at myself in the mirror, my eyes were blood shot, red rimmed and full of tears, snots were running down my face and my mouth was quivering while my body was shaking. I keep looking in the mirror thinking to myself, “How do I deal with this?” Just seventeen days ago had been one of the happiest days of my life. I had given birth to my son Alex, and now I was dealing with the loss of someone who meant everything to me. I was feeling consumed by grief and a broken heart as reality was sinking in. How can this be? This loss is unlike any I have ever known, it’s so intense, like a part of me has been stolen, a part that I can never get back, the loss of my cousin, my sister, and my best friend, that is who Falon was to me.

Everyone was talking about Falon and their memories of her remembering fun and happy times. I started having flashbacks instantly, at an accelerated rate of speed, like a rapidly moving slide show starting with my earliest memories of her, the times we spent together and all of the conversations we ever had up to three weeks ago, the last time I saw her. She had come over to take my daughter and I out to breakfast and we ended up at a little Portuguese restaurant. Falon made me laugh the whole time during breakfast, she had a comedic personality. We left in her car with the windows down and the wind flowing through our hair listening to Kid Rock music on blast. Every single little memory of Falon was flashing through my head from the day she was born, until this horrific day. The intense pain and anxiety I’m feeling are making it hard for me to breathe, I feel like I’m gasping for air and can’t catch a breath. Why her? Why did God have to take Falon?

I had just turned seven years old when Falon was born and she was my baby doll just a human one. She was such a loving happy child always smiling and really smart. She was so much fun at such a young age, she was walking and talking by ten months old and potty trained fully at one and a half years old. She was always learning and trying new things like puzzles and games and we were inseparable. Our bond was growing stronger every day and we were cousins, growing up like sisters.

I was eleven years old when my uncle told me that they were moving out of state and I was depressed and heartbroken because Falon would be moving far away from me. It didn’t end up being as bad as I imagined because my uncle came down often and stayed at our apartment for weeks at a time. We would spend all our time together and I was like her big sister. I always let her brush my hair because it felt so good. It put me in a catatonic state of relaxation, where sometimes I would actually doze off. I used to let her put makeup on me too it was fun when she was around I liked having those things done. We would also play Barbie dolls and use whatever objects we could to make pretend Barbie houses and watch Punky Brewster episodes while hanging out in my room. Falon, actually dressed up as Punky Brewster for Halloween that year. We grew up and inherited the nicknames Tami bag and Falon bag, we acted like gossiping old bag ladies so they called us that because we were always in someone’s business. I guess she learned a lot from me. Don’t get me wrong, I was a good kid I was just very outspoken and liked to talk and say whatever I wanted to say around my family. Falon was a sponge absorbing it and learning more everyday and by this time we were cousins, who grew up like sisters, who then became best friends. I know, it might seem unreal because I am a lot older than she was but she was my best friend and more we did everything together. She was with me while I was learning how to drive a car.” Falon be quiet, I need to concentrate,” I would say, as the car was jerking back and forth, while my foot was pounding the gas and then the brakes.

Falon grew up and became a very responsible young woman and I was proud of her, I knew she had learned a lot of the responsibility from me. We were alike in so many ways. She was a great person and always looking to help someone like I always did. I can go on and on because of our history and tell you a thousand more stories regarding the bond I shared with Falon and the memories we had together but I will only tell you one more about my daughter and Falon.
I had my first child, and Falon was also a big part of my daughter Desiree’s life too. We were cousins who grew up like sisters, then became best friends and now she was my babysitter. She was great with my daughter she would play with her and read to her and my daughter loved her very much. My daughter got to experience the joys of knowing and loving her too. They had a strong bond and connection, until that fateful day when my heart broke. The call that Falon didn’t survive the accident ruined my life and tore my world apart to the point I no longer feel like a whole person. To this day nobody knows how it happened or saw anything and there were no other cars involved. I remember the weather that day hazy hot and humid. I wish I knew what happened. Why she was taken from us?

Every moment and every memory keep playing out like a movie in my head, rewind, replay, fast forward and pause over and over the cycle repeats. I don’t want to forget a single moment with Falon because I can never get those moments back. I just wish I knew why this happened. The only thing I do know is that two days later she talked to my daughter in my daughter’s dream. My daughter came and woke me up and said “mama, mama, Falon talked to me in my dream.” I woke up instantly and asked her what Falon said? My daughter had just turned five, two months before this. She said Falon told her she loves and misses us, even your father too, meaning my daughter’s father. She told my daughter to give my son a hug from her and she’s sorry she didn’t get to see him. She’s also said she’s sorry she has to go now. I wrote this all down as I was asking my daughter what she said. I wanted to know more so I asked my daughter what Falon was wearing in her dream? My daughter said she was wearing black clothes, then I asked her how was Falon’s hair? She said it was up in a messy bun. We didn’t know the details of her appearance the day. When I talked to my uncle and told him what happened with my daughter he told me that’s what she was wearing and how she had her hair.

Time has gone by and nothing gets easier I still feel the same as I did that day Mrs. Pappas and it hasn’t eased. The only solace I have is knowing that she came through in my daughter’s dream because of the bond we all shared, love, family, and friendship. I know I will never have this connection with anyone else because she is irreplaceable. We were cousins who grew up like sisters and then became best friends.

It is 1:45 pm, time for me to head to the high school to pick up my group of students that I transport home daily. I leave the house and go outside, it’s freezing out and there are large fluffy snowflakes falling at a fast pace. It’s a very pretty scene to behold. I walk over to my school van, I get in and start the big blue beast, and it starts quietly. It’s a very short drive to the high school and usually only takes 5 minutes to get there on a good day. I get to the high school on time today even though the traffic was crazy on route 44. I pull up to my spot in the line and there are about 12 vans in front of me, I’m the last one always. I wait for my students to come outside. I have a group of three boys and two girls. They usually come out one at a time, and as each one approaches my van I turn on my bright red flashing school bus lights, as each student enters my school van, into my observational space for this ethnography.

Where they come from…
The students are all from Taunton, Ma, which is located in Bristol County, and it is also situated on the Taunton River. It is nicknamed,” The Silver City,” and it consists of 48.4 square miles. That makes it the third largest city in Massachusetts. The student’s all go to Taunton High School, which is one of three high schools in this city. Taunton has been very popular since 2008, because part of the movie “Shutter Island,” with Leonardo DiCaprio, was filmed here.

My student’s description’s…

Kayleigh is a 17 year old senior, who has brown eyes, and brown shoulder length straight hair, and she wears black framed glasses. She is of an average build for a teenage girl body wise. She is very soft spoken, and speaks in a classy way. She is editor in chief for the school newspaper and likes to write poems and short stories randomly. She is very talented and smart and she likes to read her poems and stories to the group of us on the van. She goes home every day after school, to do chores and homework. Kayleigh’s family consists of her mom and step dad, her older brother and a younger step sister that sometimes stays over.

Desiree is a 13 year old 8th grader and the youngest of the group. She has light brown, long hair and blue gray eyes. She is a very petite girl with a small build. She’s outgoing and has no problem speaking out quickly in reaction to conversation’s going on. She is always texting her friends on the van. She may be the youngest and the smallest of the group but she has a strong personality. She stays on the van and goes back to the bus company every day except Tuesday’s. She goes to the boys club that day because I go to school after work. Her family consists of her mom and dad and her younger brother.

Chris is a 17 year old junior who has brown short hair and brown eyes. He is about 5’5″ and got an average build. He has a goofy, weird personality and is always laughing and acts this way on the van all the time. In school he acts totally different, he’s quiet and reserved I guess, from what Kayleigh tells me. He is an attention seeker on the van. He’s always singing out loud and shaking his hands in the air to some music by Taylor Swift or Miley Cyrus. He likes to make people laugh by acting like a fool. He goes to the boy’s club every day after school. Chris’s family consists of his aunt and younger female cousin.

Jacob is a 14 year old freshman who has light brown hair and brown eyes. He is of an average height about 5’5″ and is very thin in stature. He has a goofy and copy cat like personality. He tends to be a follower instead of a leader. He gets in trouble a lot in school and on the van. He is loud and rambunctious and always smiling also. He likes to tell a lot of stories and they aren’t always true. He sings along with Chris to the music out loud and drives the rest of the group crazy. He goes to the boys club every day after school. Jacob’s family consists of his father and his father’s girlfriend.

Shawn is a 17 year old special needs student with disabilities, he has down syndrome and mental retardation. He has brown hair and brown eyes and wears wire framed glasses. He is petite in stature and I’m not sure of his height, he may be about 5′ tall. He looks to be about an average weight for his height. He is a fun personality to have on the van. He likes to give us hi-fives and he likes to pat people’s hair for some reason. He did it 10 times in a row to me one day. He’s always smiling and gets along with the girls on the van. He likes watching the boys and loves telling them to take a hike. He tries to grab at them and they act all dramatic and it drives him crazy. He tells them to get out, and to shut up. Shawn goes to the Arc program every day after school. It’s a program for people with disabilities.

The Important things in life…
These students all have a love for music that seems to be at the top of the list of likes. Whether they are using Ipods or their cell phones, music is one absolute pattern every day. They all have different tastes in music. Kayleigh listens to rock, Desiree listens to a variety and Chris and Jacob listen to pop and rap music. Shawn just listens to whatever is on the radio. The next best thing would be their phones for texting their friends and going on face book. Last would be talking about girls or boys that each may like and have a crush on.

My observations and student interactions…
I watch as the teenagers make their way to my van. First there is Chris, who’s actually walking today, he usually does a goofy, dramatic run to my van. He gets in and stumbles, the van shaking as he does so. He has his phone playing “Back Steet Boys,” I want it that way, out loud. He’s singing along and snapping his fingers to the beat. I say “Hello,” Chris just laughs and continues to sing to the music.

Here comes Kayleigh next, walking slowly with her arms crossed across her chest and looking toward the ground. She gets in and greets me with a “soft hello.” I ask her how her day was, and she says,” It was ok.””I am just really tired today I didn’t sleep well last night.” I say “me too,” it’s been a really long day so far. Kayleigh then tells Chris to turn his non music off, as he’s singing loudly and way off pitch. Chris ignores her and keeps singing.

Jacob gets in the van and goes to the back seat and sits with Chris who is still singing. Jacob then starts singing in unison with Chris. While he’s singing along, he takes out his big black framed nerdy fake glasses and puts them on. I ask Jacob, where’s your rainbow colored mohawk wig, that you usually put on when you wear the glasses? He says it’s lost at home somewhere.

Shawn gets in the van with the help of his teacher Mrs. A, and sits in the seat in front of Chris and Jacob. He turns around and goes to grab at the boys. Jacob says “no, don’t touch me,” and stays within Shawn’s reach for some reason. Shawn keeps trying to grab at him and keeps telling him to shut up, I’m going to punch you in the face. He then goes to grab at Chris, and Chris moves as far away from him as he can. They are acting loud and crazy, Shawn tells them to “knock it off,” and to” take a hike.”

Desiree walks really fast, and gets in. She sits with Shawn and says “Hi Shawn,” and he just looks at her. She then asks him for a Hi-five but he says no, and turns away. The rest of us ask him and he gives us one. Desiree asks him why he won’t give her one and he tells her to take a hike. Desiree goes on to tell us that he gives her hugs and hi-fives in school, but she doesn’t know why he won’t on the van. I ask Desiree,” how was your day,” and she says it was good, I also ask her if she has any homework. She says, “Yes, I have English and Math.”

Chris and Jacob are talking about Cherice, the girl that keeps going back and forth between the both of them, breaking up with one of them and going out with the other. It seems to be an endless circle. Chris tells Jacob he’s now dating another girl now. I glance into my rear view mirror and see that Jacob has a big smile on his face, “knowing he is going to get his girl back again.” All of a sudden Chris says “don’t touch me,” referring to Jacob. They go on to have a mini slap fight. I tell them to stop, and remind them that they are not allowed to smack each other, or I’ll have to write each of them up, so they stop. “Ohh, that’s my song,” says Chris as a song he likes is playing on the radio, and once again he’s singing along to it loudly.

Not like the average high school students…
These teens are different they don’t focus too much on appearance. I have noticed that they don’t have to have the most expensive sneakers or the most up to date clothes. I have listened to them talk about the way other kids treat them and teenagers can be very cruel. Some of my student’s families struggle and don’t have a lot of money or have the best of everything. I have noticed that not having the best clothes and sneakers doesn’t really bother them. They don’t seem to care much about what others think. I personally agree and think that’s a good thing because having the best does not make one better.

I ask my student’s, “Do you like riding on my van?”
Yes, replies everyone,
Jacob says, “You’re cool”, “I like this riding on this van.”
Chris says “You’re not perfect, but you’re pretty cool,” and they make me laugh.
Kayleigh says “You’re nice, and a good driver,” I like chatting with you.”
Desiree says, “I like riding on here because I get along with these people,” “I usually have a hard time getting along with people my age.”
Shawn says,” I like this van, and that’s it.”

Desiree and Kayleigh are trying to talk to Shawn again, but he’s telling them to “shut up and leave him alone.” I suddenly feel a pat on my left shoulder from Shawn followed by a quick pat of my head. “There is no reason to worry, Shawn is harmless.” I think it’s a ritual he has, and we all just laugh when he does it. One time he patted my head 10 times in a row, I think it’s funny.

It’s never a dull moment with this group, I must say. Jacob just spilled his water bottle all over the van floor. Kayleigh says to Jacob,” How did you do that?” and Jacob says to her,” I don’t know.” I’m like thank goodness it’s only water and that it’s not soda or some other colored drink that would have stained the van rug. Chris starts bouncing up and down on his seat singing loudly yet again, with his hands moving in the air. Desiree and Kayleigh ask Chris to stop and he say’s “No, it’s my song.” Jacob once again starts to copy Chris as always. I tell the boys that they remind me of Beavis and Butthead, a show from MTV. Jacob would be Beavis who he resembles, and Chris would be Butthead because he looks exactly like the character, and they both act like the characters on the show. I was a fan of that show when I was their age.

Kayleigh says, I wrote two poems today, in about 20 minutes. She tells me a little about them and they sound interesting.
I ask her to read them out loud.
She says you want me too.
Kayleigh speaks loudly over the noise and asks everyone,” “Do you want me to read my poems?”
We all say, “Yes,” and she reads them to us.
I tell her she is a great writer, because she is that, she helps me, I ask her for help sometimes, question wise about my writing class.
Kayleigh says thank you to us for listening. The boys listened and actually liked her poems. They told her she did a great job.

I finally reach the Boy’s club where both Chris and Jacob get off. As they are getting off the van Shawn decides to give them a little push out the door as he’s telling them to get out.
“I say goodbye to them, have a good day, and see you tomorrow.”
“They say goodbye to us.”
“Thank god,” says both Kayleigh and Desiree at the same time.
They aggravate me so bad Kayleigh says.
Her turn happens to be next she gets out of the van and says,” Goodbye Des, see you tomorrow.”
She asks Shawn for a hi-five to go, which he refuses. He says,” Stupid, then tells her to take a hike.”

“I say goodbye to her and see you tomorrow, have a good day.” Shawn’s next to be dropped off, and his assistant is waiting to help him get off the van when I get there, he gets off.
I say,” Have a good day Shawn” He just looks at me and walks away.
I am Desiree’s mother, so she stays with me while I finish my other routes for the day. She tells me about how her day in school was. I listen and ask about her homework, which she replies that she has a lot to do. She then shows me her progress report for her math class.
I tell Desiree she needs to bring that C up.
She says,” I know, mom, I will.”

One last thing
The next day I ask my student’s one last question.
“What are your plans for the future?”
Jacob replies, “To join the army,” as he start’s showing us his new shoes and boots he got today in school. He is in the Jr. R.O.T.C. class. Which I think means Jr. Recruit Officer Training Cadet. I hope I’m right about this. “I want to be a commanding officer one day,” he says.

Desiree instantly replies,” I want to own a daycare, or be a preschool teacher, and go to college.” ” I like working with kids and she goes on to say, that’s what I want to do.”
Kayleigh softly says, “I want to get the highest degrees in psychology and communications.” “I just want to help someone, anywhere, any place, anytime.” “I just want to help people.”
Shawn just says” I want to live with my mom forever and go to the Arc program.”
Chris says “I want to just sleep and sleep some more.” “Only kidding, “I want to move up at my job at Trucchis, or go to college someday, or be a mechanic.”

The subculture that unites these students…
Desiree only rides the van because I’m her mother and because I transport the students to her school. The other student’s have either a learning disability or physical ailment or social problems with the “average normal peers,” that unite them on this van. Some of the student’s have attention deficit hyper activity disorder, anxiety, learning problems, or some forms of mental retardation. Having these types of disabilities unite these individuals on my van. The other factor is where they live or programs they go to. They are fairly close in distance for drop offs, and that is why they are on my van.

This is my observation of one crazy, hectic ride, with a bunch of unique, rambunctious, American high school teenager’s with disabilities of some sort. They really aren’t all that different from the average “normal” high school student. This is how it is on a daily basis, when I drive them. I’ve been doing this job for almost 14 years. I happen to love what I do, it’s fun, and I laugh a lot. This group sure does make me laugh all the time. I wonder what tomorrow will bring, and I can’t wait to see what that will be.

Drugs are affecting people everywhere and it doesn’t matter what age or race you are or if you’re rich or poor. In 2012, an estimated 23.9 million Americans aged 12 and older- or 9.2 percent of the population- had used an illicit drug or abused a psychotherapeutic medication (“Drug Facts: Nationwide Trends”). Drug abuse is currently rising each year and doesn’t seem like it’s going to slow down any time soon. Medication assisted treatments using drugs like Methadone are being used to help people try to stay off other drugs. In some cases this method of treatment doesn’t always help the addiction. It might create another addiction (“Methadone Addiction Treatment”). New laws regarding drug using need to be enforced, most importantly laws with mandatory jail sentences. I feel that with these changes crime rates will drop and we’ll have more productive citizens.

It is an important subject for me to try and learn about. I have two drug addicted brothers, a father and a few cousins who are addicts and this is what drew me to this topic. I have been talking to some of them and I have been asking a lot of questions. I’M trying to learn about this disease and how they cope through the good, the bad, and the ugly. My sources are providing their own personal information and they have been very forth coming and honest about their addictions and how they deal with them on a daily basis. They told me that treating a drug addiction with another possible drug doesn’t work for them. The treatment drug just curbs the appetite and the need for the other stuff doesn’t really go away. Treating drug addiction by prescribing yet another drug is not an effective method because these other drugs can also be addictive (“Methadone Treatment Addiction”). Treating drug abuse with drugs to help people get clean seems to be the “norm” today. The main problem is that most people don’t use the resources of counseling and treatment programs. They just go to the clinics and get their Methadone treatments.

Addiction is classified as a disease and is a very complex subject. There are many types of drug addictions but I am going to focus on opioid addiction. Opioids are drugs that act on specific receptors in the brain and the body, which also interact with naturally produced substances known as endorphins or enkephalins – important in regulating pain (“Topics in Brief: Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Addiction”). Opioids are considered an illicit drug prescribed by a doctor or not. They are still illicit drugs because they are highly addictive. There are about 2 million Americans use and abuse these medications each year (“N-SSATS Report”). Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug and information is stating that using marijuana is increasing the odds of people using other illicit drugs like opioids. Opioid are drugs used for pain management and some examples are Vicodin, Oxycontin, Percocet, Codeine and Morphine (“Drug Facts:Nationwide Trends”). These medications are highly addictive and when they aren’t used properly they do more harm than good and so the problem of addiction starts.

I have seen what addiction does to people that were at one time close to me. These people include my two brothers, my father, and a few cousins. I have witnessed the down fall of what drugs do to them and they are not the same people anymore. The only important thing is getting that drug. It doesn’t matter that their children are suffering because the drugs come first. I ask them why they do the drugs. It’s not the first time and they know all the bad that happens from doing drugs. “My brother says I do it because I forget for a little while and feel good, and then I don’t feel good so I want to do it again.” I just don’t seem to understand this problem and how they let it run their lives. The drug addiction has taken away everything that matters, themselves, their jobs, their cars and most importantly their relationships with their children and their family. The drug always comes first and the addiction is a struggle for them and millions of others in this country.

Drug abuse and addiction are major public health problems. A large portion of drug treatment is funded by local, State, and Federal governments (“Drug Addiction Treatment”). Treatment plans have been used by each of these individuals with no success. Each of these individuals had used such treatments as Detox, Counseling and Methadone/Opioid programs. We also had basic family interventions trying to make them aware of how their addiction is hurting themselves and everyone else. The end result seems to be that these treatments only help them cope with the need to use only temporarily. I have been researching the laws on drug use and there are laws if you are caught with drugs but the laws are clearly undefined regarding people who just use the drugs and don’t get caught with them. The laws are clearly defined by being a drug user caught with drugs on them which leads to charges of possession and intent to distribute and so on.

Substance addiction has a severe impact on society itself and costs the government over 200 billion dollars each year, and causes about one out of four deaths each year (“Mordey”). While it is most likely too late to take these illegal substances completely out of the picture, responsible individuals can take the time to educate themselves and others about harmful, addictive substances (“Mordey”). I think education of these substances and how they affect the addict and society as a whole should be taught more and at a younger age in school.

During my research I have learned a lot of information that I didn’t know regarding this topic. It is a disease that changes a person’s thinking from normal to abnormal while using these drugs (“Addiction as a Disease”). It affects every aspect of the individual’s life and the only difference I see from all other diseases is that this is a man made disease and brought about by themselves. Most diseases just happen and cannot be prevented. Most of them don’t have a cure. This disease is a worldwide epidemic with the total individuals affected rising each year. There is a cure and that is to quit the addiction but most will not get the treatment of counseling or drug Detox programs. Most people in treatment won’t complete it because it’s a long process. The treatment plans to help the drug addiction involve the patients taking different types of drugs to help the addiction. If the drugs are not used correctly they could also become addicted to the treatment medication like Methadone. My relatives that currently have drug addictions have stated to me that those treatment plans don’t really work. It just makes them want the real drug or they just use those treatments if the real drugs are unattainable. They have also stated they can get this treatment daily if they need to.

Methadone treatment can be a life saver to those people who stick with a treatment plan. Methadone abuse/addiction, according to the federal government statistics, is on the rise on America (“Methadone Addiction Treatment”). Addicts who were addicted to Heroin and use Methadone treatment for a long time most likely will end up addicted to it. Methadone withdrawal is just like any other drug withdrawal and it can be very hard on a person. The abuse of Methadone has also increased the number of people visiting the emergency room for overdoses (“Methadone Addiction Treatment”). There have been many deaths because people who are addicted to Methadone are taking other opioids at the same time. The goal for using Methadone is to eventually live a drug free life. This is why I believe that treating drug abuse with drugs isn’t the best alternative.

So does treating drug addiction with drugs really work and help the individuals or are we as society just creating another addiction for them to use? Only 1 in 10 people who need treatment for addiction involving alcohol or drugs other than nicotine receive it (“Addiction Treatment”). In other words the statistics are very low when it comes to treatment being effective. Addiction to opioid drugs is being compared to having diseases like Diabetes and Cancer which I find totally wrong because I’m a diabetic who has had this disease for over 20 years and if I had the choice things would be different and I would think that people who have cancer would agree because we didn’t ask for these diseases.

There have been 132 opioid overdoses and nine were fatal so far this year in the city of Taunton, Ma where I live. This is just one city and the number is at an all time high (“Larocque”). I think we need new laws on drug use when it becomes drug addiction. Crime rates rise when people have addictions because they will do just about anything to get the drugs (“Mordey”). I think people with addictions should have mandatory sentences to serve in jail, like six months or more in an inpatient facility. The way I look at it is the government is paying for addicts whether they are in jail or not. In the end I think it would be cheaper to put them in jail because the government is already providing for these people. They get free health insurance, welfare, food stamps, cell phones and drug treatment programs like Methadone clinics. I know overcrowding in jails might seem like a huge expense but just look at what the cost is now taking care of these individuals. In the long run I think these ideas would make a big difference in society and they might end up costing a lot less money in the end.

The future doesn’t look too good when it comes to dealing with drug addiction, there would have to be lots of changes within the world and most importantly within our country. Laws would need to change, new treatment plans that would hopefully work and making it harder for known addicts to get the drugs. In the end I only seem to think things are going to get worse rather than improving. Education on this topic is the key to hope for a brighter future.

Work Cited

Larocque, Marc. “28 yr old Taunton Man is City’s Ninth Overdose Death.” Taunton Daily Gazette, Taunton, Ma. 24 March 2014

24 April, 2014. . methadone addiction treatment. treatment solutions. www.treatmentsolutions.com/methadone-addiction-treatment web

27 April, 2014. Topics in brief: medication assisted treatment for opioid addiction. national institute on drug abuse. www.drugabuse.gov/publications/topics-in-brief/medication web

27 April, 2014. drug facts: treatment statistics. national institute on drug abuse. www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/treatment-statistics web

27 April, 2014. Drug Facts: Nationwide Trends. www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/nationwidetrends. web

Morday, Alastair. “The impacts of substance abuse on society.” archive. 04 September, 2012: Cabin Press Releases

27 April, 2014. Addiction as a disease. Drug addiction treatment & treating addiction. www.casacolumbia.org/addiction/disease-model-addiction web

23 April, 2013. Trend’s in the use of methadone at Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities. The N-SSATS report. www.SAMHSA.gov. web

27 April, 2014. addiction Treatment. drug addiction treatment &treating addiction. www.casacolumbia.org/addiction-treament web