“God Help Me I Can’t Stop.”

If the American Medical Association in 1956 declared that alcohol addiction is a disease, and in June 1987 declared that drug addiction is a disease—then why do we want to put them in jail? We’ve got to get this back to a health issue, or we’ll never stop it.

—Judy Saalinger, Family Counselor California Women’s Commission on Alcohol and Drug Dependencies

When I was 11 years old I started smoking pot. I was having emotional problems at the time and this stuff seemed to help me out. When I started doing cocaine and crystal there were lots of reasons. There was my weight, the freedom, the easygoing feeling like you’ve got it all wrapped up, you’re in control of it all.