He "Could Have been Somebody"-Crack Cocaine Took Care of That

Fighting back from cocaine addiction
Once a Kansas Basketball Star, now he's trying to rebound for good.

BY BOB LUTZ
The Wichita Eagle

WICHITA (AP) -- There might still be a happy ending to Greg Williams' story. There might not.

So many times he has made promises. And so many times he has slipped back into the despair that has made his life an insufferable combination of crack addiction and jail time.

He'll be 45 next month and he's tired. His once-strong legs, which helped carry him to basketball acclaim as an All-City and All-State player at Southeast High from 1978-80, are shot.

Literally.

Twice, in drug deals gone bad, he was shot in his left leg. Another time, he was run over in a parking lot. When the driver realized Williams was still alive, he ran over him again.

Williams is borrowing time.

There is another reason to get clean now, beyond the normal reasons of just living a productive life. It's Williams' biggest incentive yet.

It's a 3-month-old boy. Little Greg is in protective custody, fighting to overcome the crack cocaine that was in his body at the time of his birth. His mother, too, is an addict, lost on the streets.

Williams has been there. He's trying, yet again, to find his way back.


Williams' story started out well. He grew up in northeast Wichita, under a sturdy roof and with two loving parents.

His dad, Henry, worked at Cessna. His mother, Willia, worked for the Wichita school district.

Williams was a soft-spoken kid who could run faster than any of his friends and jump as if he had springs under his feet. He grew to love basketball, the sport he dreamed about. He just knew he would end up in the NBA one day, though he never developed a quality outside shot.

He was a 6-foot-5 center. It worked in high school. It worked for a year at Barton County Community College. But it stopped working at the Division I level, at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas.

Williams found fleeting success in two Lamar seasons and left school before his senior year. He had just broken up with his childhood sweetheart.

Basketball hadn't worked out. His girl was gone.

In the mid-1980s he managed a Jiffy Lube store on East Kellogg but he didn't enjoy getting up in the morning like everybody else and going to a job he didn't much care for.

Nobody recognized him anymore, the way they did when he played basketball. He couldn't get his former girlfriend out of his mind.

''I think at that point I decided I was tired of being a nice guy,'' Williams said. ''I had the attitude that nice guys finish last.''

At first, it was innocent. A puff on a marijuana cigarette here. Another there.

He reintroduced himself to the wrong people, and they led him down a bad path.

Williams started selling marijuana, making some extra money. It was easy.

''Then the guy I was selling for suggested I might do better selling cocaine,'' Williams said.

He didn't have the strength to resist. He was driving the same car he had in high school, a 1973 Buick Regal with a tattered interior and chipped paint. He was embarrassed, especially since some of his old friends had become successful, had new cars and expensive jewelry.

Williams spent a couple of years just selling. He didn't dare use the stuff himself. It scared him.

Then he made the mistake of caring.

Two of his crack customers, a couple, had their electricity turned off at their home. They couldn't afford to feed their babies, or buy diapers. Everything they made went to cocaine.

''You never give a drug addict money, because they're not going to use it for anything other than drugs,'' Williams said. ''So I'd go downtown and pay for their light bill. I'd go to the store and buy the diapers or the food.''

Williams couldn't understand how these people became so dependent on crack. He told them it would never happen to him. And he proved it by using crack a few times.

For a while, he was OK. He could function.

''I'd go home,'' he said. ''I wouldn't touch the money in my bank accounts.''

Then, one day, Williams stopped functioning.

''It grabbed me by the throat and it hasn't let go for 20 years,'' Williams said.

Williams has been in and out of jail more times than he can remember -- more than a dozen times.

He was recently released from the Sedgwick County Jail and is serving four months at the county's residential and service center under conditions of his parole.

He was clean for a couple of years, from 2004 until last summer. But his addiction pulled him down again -- a probation violation landed him back in jail.

Williams has lived on the streets. He's lived in dingy motel rooms. He's lived with friends who really didn't want him living with them.

And at other times he has had good-paying jobs, able to support himself while, at least temporarily, resisting the monster.

He has never been able to hold a job for long because when the appetite for crack surfaces, it cannot be satisfied.

He burglarized to sustain his habit. He deceived friends. He took advantage of people who were trying to help him.

Every time he was caught and thrown into jail, he promised to change. His words lost their worth.

You've heard about how addicts must reach rock bottom before they can start to lift themselves. The question becomes: How low is rock bottom?

Sometime in the early 1990s, Williams was shot as he struggled for the gun of the person to whom he was selling drugs.

He had never felt such pain. He thought he was going to die as the bullet passed through his lower leg and came out the other side.

That wasn't rock bottom, though. He didn't even consider changing his life because he didn't feel capable.

In 1999, Williams' father died. Henry Williams ran a disciplined household. He insisted that his sons go to church and live by what they learned.

At the time of Henry's death, Williams was in jail in Hutchinson. He received the news from the prison chaplain.

Williams was allowed to go to his father's funeral. Wearing shackles and looking, in his mind, like a mass murderer. Just the memory of that day made Williams' baritone voice waver and his feet to tap nervously.

''I was humiliated,'' he said.

But not even that was rock bottom. When Williams got out of jail, he went right back to drugs.

''I remember once a police officer in town stopped me and said he had heard that a gang I was having some problems with was out to kill me,'' Williams said. ''And I said, 'Man, don't worry. If they kill me they'll be doing me a favor.' It's a living hell out there. I hated every day that I woke up and had to live the way I had to live.''

So it's different now.

That's what Williams says, at least.

There is a baby involved. His baby.

In 2004, Williams did what people had told him he could never do. He got clean.

He found a good job, working in management for a modeling agency. The owner took a chance by hiring Williams, but it was working out.

He was responsible and focused. And he was back in church, a place he felt safe.

Williams had money in his pocket. He bought a nice car and a nicer truck. He rented his own place.

And he met a girl. A young woman who had done some modeling. They hung out, went to movies.

Williams thought he might have gotten past his addiction. But he was fooled.

When people noticed that his weight was again falling, they asked questions. He lied, even to his boss.

Williams began smoking marijuana last summer, soon after getting off of parole. His girlfriend, who would become his wife, smoked, too. But she was also into narcotics, he said. And she was eager to try crack, even though she was pregnant.

It wasn't long before the addiction was in full swing, for both.

Soon, he was consumed by crack again.

"I couldn't believe I went back to that," he said.

Williams was soon back in jail. And the only reason he is out now, living in the county's residential center in Wichita, is because if he violates probation again, he'll serve close to 10 years.

Without a chance for parole.

There will be custody issues involved with Gregory Jr.

Williams knows his criminal record will be a factor and those wanting to put the baby up for adoption will have lots of ammunition.

''On paper, I know I've been a horrible person,'' Williams said.

Williams was in the delivery room when his son was born. He has heard that his former wife -- who could not be reached for this story -- is still fighting her addiction and will not be involved with the baby.

But he wants to be.

''There has to be a reason I'm still alive,'' he said. ''Or that I'm not buried in the penitentiary system

"I'm going to show the court system, the SRS system, everyone, that I can be the best dad in the world. All I can do is hope and pray.''

Being a nice guy isn't so bad, Williams has learned.

He played basketball in the City League at a time when the stars included Ricky Ross, Antoine Carr, Aubrey Sherrod, Greg Dreiling, Karl Papke and others. It was the signature era of City League basketball and Williams was front and center.

He averaged 23.6 points and 12 rebounds as a senior after averaging 16.7 points and 10 rebounds as a junior. He was never in trouble.

All these years later, he still thinks he could have made something bigger of himself through sports.

But the bad decisions made all of Williams' should'ves and what-ifs irrelevant.

This might be his last chance.

Addiction News Archives

The Treatment Hotline has begun compiling a list of "noteworthy" news relating to addiction. If you happen to collect such a thing (I just write...), pass it on and let's get it archived.

Addiction News Archive...like a Smithsonian for Junkies....

PB

Addiction and Recovery News

Around the corner at the Dawn Farm, Jason Schwartz of Addiction and Recovery News relays a story stating: Injection Drug Use Up Among Younger Heroin Treatment Clients.

He goes on to challenge one of the articles unsubstaniated conclusions and I have to agree...Assuming that there is less of a stigma now in regards to needles and HIV as a possible reason that more teenagers are "going to the neck" is pretty pathetic.

And is it coincedence or conspiracy that this "rising" number of young IV drug users don't live in Florida?

Maybe it's time for a "Scared Straight" survey. Lock the kids up over at Guantanemo untill they tell the truth.

Jeb?

Teen drug abuse in Florida drops-Again!

SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Teen drug abuse in Florida drops

TALLAHASSEE - (AP) -- Teenage illegal drug use in Florida declined again this year, Gov. Jeb Bush said Tuesday as he announced the results of an annual survey of middle-and high-school students.

The Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey assessed lifetime drug usage and current usage among sixth- through 12th-graders across the state.
''We have worked to strengthen substance abuse prevention, and we have seen significant progress,'' Bush said.

''Progress is being made,'' he added, ``but the work is not done.''

There has been a decrease in the use of heroin, Ecstasy and LSD, as well as in the use of cigarettes and alcohol, the survey found.

Alcohol is the most common substance of abuse among youth.

It was the fifth straight year that most types of drug use by Florida teens have dropped. The survey showed nearly a third of the respondents used alcohol, 11.4 percent said they'd used marijuana and 10.6 percent said they smoked cigarettes.
All other drug usage was negligible.

On the surface...Great! How about a reality check...

Think. Think back to your Junior High School Days. And now imagine a survey as its passed around the class. A written survey. You're 13, 14, maybe 15. You're stoned or drunk or tripping. And now, because your teacher asked you to, you're going to TELL THE TRUTH???

As a teenager I didn't need a reason to lie...but this sure as hell would have given me one. Hell, I was paranoid when I wasn't stoned.

So I'm to belive that drug use among teenagers in Florida has decreased...BECAUSE THEY SAID SO???

Sorry. Not today...

PB

Methamphetamine Myths

Methamphetamine Myths

Sometimes the right information can turn on some lights. Read this carefully, it may just brighten you.

As methamphetamine continues to spread across the U.S., the crystalline powder attracts new users in new areas. Various myths about meth may have helped alert the community to the problem and have even prompted Governmental action. Regardless, these myths have also misled uncountable Americans, including various law enforcement and substance abuse professionals. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

This takes us to Meth Myth #1: Methamphetamine is the nation's number one drug issue.

It is true there may be places where police, courts, child protective and emplacement agencies, drug programs, and hospitals see more meth-related cases than for any other drug. For them, this may be their dominating drug problem on a stated day. Usually that would be my conclusion, too. But national figures put this into perspective. Three years ago, methamphetamine admissions to community treatment programs ranked just 6th at 7.7 percent of such admissions. (Alcohol led with 23 .2 percent, followed by alcohol plus another drug at 18 .7 percent,).[1] Two years ago, a little over half a million Americans aged 12 years and older reported meth use in the previous month. They were in the group of 19 .2 million past-month users of illicit drugs. At the same time about half of Americans 12 and older are current alcohol drinkers. [[2]]

Myth #2: Methamphetamine use is prospering among teens.

Meth use may be increasing among some teen subgroups (e.g. gay youth; agricultural youth) . Nationally, however, use among 12- to 17-year-olds has actually declined as the standard age of first use has risen to 22 .1 years of age.[3] Use has decreased among high school students as well, although one researcher observed that "it's possible that use is increasing among high school dropouts, who are not captured in the survey, and among young adults."[4] Federal data for 2002, 2003, and 2004 show the prevalence of past-year meth use among 12- to 17-year-olds at 0.7 percent.[5]

Myth #3: Even one-time meth use leads to addiction. Experts approximate that it takes from 2 to 5 years to establish methamphetamine addiction, but concede reports of meth addiction occurring in less than one year of habitual use.[6] Addiction is by and large the outcome of chronic use, leading to increased tolerance, higher and more frequent dosages, and changes in ingestion methods.[7] The extreme euphoria meth users report may leave many who did not plan to proceed using the drug eager to repeat the experience.

Myth #4: Babies born to meth-using women suffer grave, lingering problems. Some corroboration indicates that meth use during pregnancy may result in some birth abnormalities or learning disabilities.[8] Even so, knowledge about the effects of prenatal exposure to meth remains minimal. Women planning for motherhood should refrain from all forms of substance abuse, but incendiary, stigmatizing phraseology like "meth babies" and "ice babies" should also be rejected.[9]

Myth #5: Methamphetamine is a major threat to children. Children in the care of adults who make, use or sell methamphetamine are at risk for being neglected or abused; their presence where the drug is being made puts them in harm's way. But not all meth-involved adults neglect or abuse their children and most users do not make the drug themselves. Far more children are at peril because they live in households where there is alcoholism. In 2003, an estimated 1,300 U.S. meth lab incidents involved a child being exposed to poisonous chemicals, and 724 children were removed from such sites.[10] But during the identical span "more than 6 million children lived with at least 1 parent who misused or was dependent on alcohol or an illicit drug." [11]

Myth #6: Methamphetamine addicts do not react to treatment. Many states report meth treatment success rates ranging from 60 to nearly 90 percent:[12] Among Iowa's publicly funded programs, 65 .5 percent of meth clients were good 6 months after discharge.[13] The Matrix Model, now marketed by the Hazelden Foundation, and based on earlier cocaine treatment models, has also reported high rates of success in treating meth addiction.[14] In San Diego, The Stepping Stone, serving gay people, instituted a Sexual Behavior Relapse Prevention pilot program to broaden patient retention, decrease client recidivism, and curtail HIV-infection from drug- or sex-linked relapse. At 6-month and 1-year follow-ups, noteworthy improvement on all three measures was reported for meth clients on the pilot-study track.

As it has been noted, methamphetamine is a hideous drug. The price for the exceptional euphoria it can create can be even more extraordinary for those who use it. It's manufacture and trafficking bring violence and environmental devastation and produce great risks for anyone who happens to be close at hand. At the same time, meth myths and misinformation help only to misdirect inadequate resources and muddle efforts to recognize and respond to authentic methamphetamine problems.

Hopefully you have found this article interesting at least, and possibly even helpful. Just maybe you were able to get something out of it. Thanks for taking the time to read it.


[1] The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Office of Applied Studies. 2003 Treatment Episode Data Set. As referenced by NIDA. March 2005. InfoFacts: Treatment Trends.

[2] The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Office of Applied Studies. Updated October 2, 2005. NSDUH 2004. Appendix H, Selected Prevalence Tables, Table H.3—Types of Illicit Drug Use in Lifetime, Past Year, and Past Month Among Persons Aged 12 to 17: Percentages, 2002–2004.

[3] The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Office of Applied Studies. The NSDUH Report: Methamphetamine Use, Abuse, and Dependence: 2002, 2003, and 2004: Highlights. http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k5/meth/meth.cfm

[4] Johnston, L.D.; O’Malley, P.M.; Bachman, J.G.; Schulenberg, J.E. December 19, 2005. Teen drug use down, but progress halts among youngest teens. University of Michigan News and Information Services: Ann Arbor, MI.

[5] The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Office of Applied Studies. September 16, 2005. The NSDUH Report: Methamphetamine Use, Abuse, and Dependence: 2002, 2003, and 2004, In Brief.

[6] The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. 1999. Treatment Improvement Protocols: TIP 33: Treatment for Stimulant Use Disorders, Chapter 2.

[7] National Institute on Drug Abuse. April 1998, Reprinted January 2002. Research Report Series: Methamphetamine Abuse and Addiction.

[8] Volkow, Nora, M.D., Director, NIDA. April 21, 2005. Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services; Education; and Related Agencies. Committee on Appropriations, U.S. Senate.

[9] Lewis, D., M.D., Brown University. July 25, 2005. Meth Science, Not Stigma: Open Letter to the Media. Join Together Online.

[10] Office of National Drug Control Policy. February 6, 2004. "Fighting Methamphetamine in the Heartland: How Can the Federal Government Assist State and Local Efforts?"

[11] The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Office of Applied Studies. June 2, 2003. The NSDUH Report: Children Living With Substance-Abusing or Substance-Dependent Parents.

[12] National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors. May 2005. Fact Sheet: Methamphetamine.

[13] The Iowa Consortium for Substance Abuse Research and Evaluation. September 2004. Outcome Monitoring System: Iowa Project: Year Six Report.

[14] Hazelden Foundation. The Matrix Model Family of Products.