Freeman: Just Say Yes To Education. P-D 9/8/1989

Headline: JUST SAY YES TO EDUCATION
Reporter: Gregory Freeman

Publication: ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Last Printed: Fri. Sep. 8, 1989
Section: WAR PAGE Page: 1C Edition: FIVE STAR

LIKE MILLIONS of Americans, Richard sat glued to his television set the other night to watch President George Bush outline his new drug policies.
He listened to the president discuss plans for tougher penalties for the sale and use of illegal drugs. Then he laughed.
''There's no way that this is going to do anything, '' Richard said.

He should know. Until about two years ago, Richard was addicted to crack cocaine.
    ''I couldn't help it, '' said Richard, a tall, dark-skinned, rail-thin man in his early 30s, with sprinkles of gray in his black hair. ''Every time I'd turn around, I had to have a rock [crack.''
    Richard started using drugs in high school. ''Then it was just weed. I'd smoke it between classes and after school. I know some people have these thoughts about people who use drugs being these wild-eyed crazy people. But that wasn't true at all. I didn't think it was affecting me. I even ran track in high school. I did pretty well, too, and the weed didn't bother me. Besides, everybody was doing it then.''
    After a while, Richard graduated to harder stuff, eventually finding himself heavily addicted to crack.
    ''Man, every last penny that I had, I was spending it on drugs. I had a little piece of job, and I used all my money from that for drugs. When I lost my job, I started selling my stuff. Everything I owned. I had to have that rock, and that was all that mattered.
    ''I was out there, buying stuff from these young dudes, some of them still in high school. I know they were making big money. I was spending like crazy.''

Of course, Richard wasn't the only one buying the cocaine.
''Where I used to go, there were people from all over St. Louis there buying the stuff. They came from everywhere: Ladue, Creve Coeur, the East Side, you name it.''

Unlike a lot of people, though, Richard eventually realized what was happening to him. ''I couldn't think straight and all I ever wanted to do was to get that rock. It was starting to tear me apart. I lost my wife and my two beautiful daughters. I had to do something about it.''
Richard checked himself into a treatment center. Now, two years later, he's off the stuff.
''I'll never go back, '' he said. ''I just can't. I don't need it anymore. That's a part of my life that I hope is behind me forever.''

Richard has a job now, as a custodian for a downtown office building. He lives in an apartment in North County, and he's trying to straighten out his life.
''I'm one of the lucky ones, and I know it, '' he said. ''A lot of these guys get hooked and they can't stop.

''That's why I know that all this stuff the president is doing won't do no good. 'Cause as long as people want this stuff, these young boys are going to be out there selling it. Don't tell me you're going to put folks in jail, because that's not going to do any good. The place where I used to buy rocks, the cops used to come around every so often and try to bust people. A couple of days later, everybody was back again.
''I wasn't worried about the police or anything like that. No way. People who want this stuff - and I was one of them and I know what I'm talking about - don't care about no laws. They want to get that high.''

And as long as people want drugs, Richard said, there will be those willing to take their money and furnish the drugs. As long as there's poverty, there will be people willing to sell drugs, he said.
''It's easy money, and it's fast money. It's a lot easier making $1,000 a week selling drugs than it is to go to businesses all day and be told 'Sorry, we don't have anything.' ''

Richard has a suggestion for the president. He thinks Bush should place more emphasis on education and treatment.
    ''I know he's talking about some treatment, but most of the money is going to be spent on trying to catch people and put them in jail. He knows they'll never catch everybody . . . they won't even catch most of the folks doing it. There's always someone else to take the place of those few that do get caught.
    ''Until folks really learn what this stuff does to you, how it messes you up and ages you way before your time, they're going to keep on doing it. It's just like alcohol. They did everything to try to get people to stop drinking alcohol, but folks just kept on. You can't stop them just by saying you're going to crack down.
    ''That's just like telling them to 'Just say no.' When you're caught up in it, you don't know how to say no.''

Daniel Schesch - Webweaver

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