When we think of "The Alcoholic," our mind's eye conjures up images of some unshaven derelict, staggering down the street in a tattered raincoat with a bottle in a paper bag. When we imagine "The Druggie," it's usually some walking corpse with track marks all over the place.
The bogeyman. Zombies.
In truth, it's me. It's Garrett Reid. It might even be you. But the stigma associated with this disease is still so strong that people are terrified of voluntary rehab centers, especially located near a high school or park.
Now I don't know what the hell an alkie or druggie is supposed to do to a high school kid. Eat his brains? Bethlehem residents, most of them very bright, were scared to death of Abe Atiyeh's proposed treatment center at Center and Dewberry.
I know their fear was very real, but it was also very irrational. And now they're carousing with a bunch of drunks and druggies at Musikfest, the very people who might have been helped by a Malvern in the Lehigh Valley. They certainly aren't helped in prison. Garret Reid could tell you that.
If he were alive.
Thanks for posting this Bernie. As you know, addiction effects one in four Pennsylvania families, so few have not been touched by addiction. It have lost more people I know to chemical dependency than all other things combined. My heart goes out to the Reid family and all the rest that are grieving the loss of a loved one to this horrible disease.
ReplyDeleteBernie,
ReplyDeleteHow heartbreaking for this family. Drugs overwhelm the brain and change its functioning and the demons take over. How many parents have lost children to drug overdose?
good point
ReplyDeleteSadly rehab did not help this man.
ReplyDeleteNo, unfortunately, it did not, and usually does not the first or second time.
ReplyDeletei think the fear is very real, having had a son in a drug rehab ,i speak from personal experence ,first there not prisioner's while they are in rehab and the people who want them ,who aren't interested in getting well get them from people on the outside that is a real problem for most people, my son did get well because he wanted to , had he wanted to he could've gotten drugs at the rehab he was at (outside) my heart breaks for andy reid and his family ... drugs kill and unless a person wants to get well they don't .... drug addiction is a horrible disease parents who have children who struggled with it worry everyday of there lives...
ReplyDeleteTragic. Addiction and abuse have worsened under prohibition. We lock up the addicted (i.e. the ill) at a cost of billions of dollars. This provides tens of thousands of jobs for law enforcement, courts, and prison systems.
ReplyDeleteStop locking up drunks and druggies. Use the money for rehab for those who want it. Give rehab three strikes instead of lifetime sentences.
Just as during Prohibition, addiction, abuse, and associated crime have worsened under today's prohibition. It's time to learn the lessons of history.
May Garrett Reid RIP and his family be comforted.
He probably got himself a bag and thought that the stuff in Bethlehem was not as good as the stuff he usually gets so he did the whole bag.
ReplyDeleteGuess what, the Bethlehem "stuff" will kill you...
Good point.. I never was the type of person to check or look at any blogs until this one... Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteBTW ... Looks like the Lehigh waterfront is delayed but only due to the fact they are letting the leases run out so they are not terminated creating a longer delay... any land deal wont come until 2014 I believe..
As with everyone, I feel bad for the Reid family.
ReplyDeleteSince you reference the Atiyeh property on Dewberry and Center, what is the latest? When you drive by now there is a large yellow sign advertising "hospital."
Once his plans for a rehab near Rte 78 have final approval, he will withdraw hs appeal for the rehab at Calvary Baptist. The 5 acre tract on the other side of Dewberry is zoned institutional, so he does have a right to make an institutional use of the property, and that would even include a psychiatric hospital. i do not know whether those are his actual intentions, or whether it is a gambit.
ReplyDeleteAnon 8:28
ReplyDeleteYou are quite ignorant.
the only good druggie is a dead druggie
ReplyDeletesadly many of our young dont seem to do well when they leave the nest.Our culture fosters addictive personalities.Our nation prides itself in its freedoms.Thats a good thing.The down side is the freedom to eat our selves to death,drink our selves to death,and do drugs legal and illegal till fate takes its toll.Then theres the mental addictions to gambling,sex,porn,video games,violence etc, etc,etc.The debate goes on about the role of government.
ReplyDeletegay boy william,
ReplyDeletepeople make choices.
this idiot killed himself with bad choices.
TS
One less scumbag I have to pay for
Good riddance
I forgot to mention 10.14 pm that there is also the freedom to be an asshole. One only has to go out in public and visit the blogs to find those that exercise their right. Dont worry though,Proctoligists luv ya,you make their day.
ReplyDeleteBernie,
ReplyDeleteWhat a thoughtful, compassionate post! Kudos to you!
Drug addiction takes the son of a wealthy coach and we feel for the family. Drug addiction takes the son of a poor Latino in center city Allentown and it justifies the stampede to the suburbs. The disease is as despicable no matter what the zip code. Problems like this multiply in darkness. Thanks for shining the light on the issue.
Your post makes clear that everyone has problems and deserves compassion...except it seems public and appointed officials in your world. Hmmm.
Except public and elected officials.
ReplyDeleteBernie--Few of the concerned neighbors opposed the idea of rehabilitation. It was the location. When a more appropriate location was found--the Synthetic Thread Mill on 12th Street by Rt 378--many of us supported Atiyeh's request. In the end, Atiyeh received permission to put 150 bed rehabilitation facility...more than twice the capacity he requested at the former Calvary Baptist Church building next to Bethlehem Catholic High School. See your June 14th posting. The question is, will he actually build that capacity?
ReplyDeleteStew, That's my point. I understand your fear, but believe the fear of a voluntary, for-profit, substance abuse rehab, next to a high school or even a park, is irrational. The types of people you'll see treated there are people like you or me.
ReplyDeleteDuring the case, in which you had the benefit of two outstanding attorneys advocating your cause, there was no evidence of even a single instance in which something like this facility ever presented a real danger. It was entirely speculative.
If anything, this case demonstrates that there is still a big stigma associated with substance abuse, even among the very intelligent people like yourself, who opposed this concept.
But I am just a writer and an alkie to boot. Your view was found to be more persuasive to the ZHB. You should be commended for taking an interest and making your points known.
Bernie--Many of us support rehabilitation. Done well, it rebuilds lives and relationships. It can be very positive. But, it should be located appropriately, as much for the benefit of the patients as the benefit of the neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteStew, I think a for-profit, voluntary, substance abuse rehab, right next to Becahi, would have been no problem and would not have been noticed by anyone. But your view is the one that prevailed in a well-tried case, so hat's off to you, especially for taking an interest in your government. Bethlehem is lucky that way.
ReplyDelete