It is not a secret that drug abuse in the Grayson County community has reached epidemic proportions.
With the proliferation of methamphetamine and opioids, including heroin, hydrocodone and fentanyl (a powerful synthetic opioid), drug abuse impacts hundreds, perhaps thousands of families in Grayson County.
The often unseen victims of the rampant drug, and in some cases, alcohol abuse plaguing our county are the children of the substance abusers. This article is intended to shed light on the overly negative impact drug abuse has on the most innocent of our society.
Over the last quarter-century, Grayson County Sheriff Norman Chaffins has taught a drug prevention program to fifth graders in Grayson County.
“I am always trying to make a positive impact on our youth, but I often wonder if my efforts are even making a difference,” Chaffins said. “Are the kids really listening? Do they really understand how drugs and violence go hand in hand?”
As part of Chaffins’ drug prevention program, he asks the fifth graders to write an essay describing how drug abuse has affected their young lives.
And in one of the more powerful displays of the written word providing an eye-opening, heartbreaking impact on the reader, several of Chaffins’ students wrote essays detailing the intense pain and insecurity caused by parents who choose using drugs over raising their children.
The names of the students and those mentioned in the following essays have been changed. The essays are presented here exactly as received:
Dear Mom and Dad,
You all have put me through a lot in my short life span. But one good thing about the choices you have made is that should not do drugs. I have learned this from the choices you all have made as a parent.
One reason why I should never do drugs is because it led the family into a custody battle. My brother and I had to go to family court because you all were unable to take care of us. We went to family court so the judge could decide if we should live in Kentucky or Tennessee. The judge decided that it would be best if we stayed in Kentucky so it would be easier for you all to visit us. Moving to our aunt and uncle’s house was good because I knew I would always have something to eat and I knew I would always be at school and have a place to sleep at night.
You have also caused me to have different emotions. I feel like I have been through a roller coaster ride with all the highs and lows you have put me through. I felt confused at times because I was moving to a new home. At the time I was only nine years old and I didn’t understand why I couldn’t stay with you all. Another emotion I felt towards you all was anger. I felt anger towards you dad because you were drinking and driving with me and my brother in the car. The reason why I feel relieved now is because I don’t have to go through that anymore. I know I will always have a roof over my head and food on the table.
The choices you have made have also led me to not want to be like you. One reason I don’t want to be like you all is because you all have torn our family apart. I also don’t want to be like that because when I grow up and have children of my own, I want my kids to have a normal life unlike mine. The last reason I don’t want to be like you all is because I don’t want to get my kids taken away in the future and I don’t want to have to go to jail.
All in all, I have learned I do not want to drink or do drugs because of the experiences my brother and I have gone through. And I hope you both can make better choices in the future and work to get our family back together.
Love your daughter,
5th grade Clarkson Elementary School student
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Drugs have affected my life and my family because a close member of my family was on drugs. This family member was using drugs for a very long time while living with us and my family had no idea. My Nana, Pappy, sister and I really had a hard time when we found out that she was addicted to drugs. This was a really hard thing for our family to go through.
One major thing that impacted me was when she started dating guys that would like to do drugs. There was this one guy, for this paper we will call him Joe, and he started sleeping over with us every night at our house. I would lock my door every night because he scared me and I didn’t feel safe. Sometimes he would scream and get violent while they were fighting. She disappeared with him and for two months we tried to find her. The police finally found her in Louisville. For one whole year we had to go live with our Nana, we still do usually.
Another event that impacted me was that same guy would come over a lot and he would do stuff in the room with her. He would even lock her up in rooms at the house. One day when she was off drugs, she told him to get out of our house and to never come back. It didn’t last long because he decided to come back anyway. She took him back and after that we didn’t see her for a year. It was really sad because we had to get the cops involved. It was really sad for me and my sister because we love her and didn’t get to see her for a whole year. She ended up going to jail for a couple of years. I don’t think it was fair for her to go to jail when she didn’t do anything. When she finally got to see us and was out of jail we spent all kinds of time together. We have got to hang out a lot since that day.
The happy ending part of my experience is that she got off the drugs and ended up being a good person for us. It was really sad when we didn’t get to see her or spend time with her. Now we have all kinds of animals that we take care of at our house. After all the bad times we have just put away the past and focus on being a family. She really didn’t do anything since that day except for hanging out with us and going to family stuff. I am very glad that it ended up the way that it did because I love her very much.
This his how being exposed to drug use has impacted me. Having a close family member that struggles with addiction to drugs affected my family and made life very hard and sad for my sister and I for a long time. I am not going to ever let drugs take me away from the ones that I love, and I’m very glad that my special family member got better.
By a 5th grade student at Clarkson Elementary School
Coming soon on K105.com will be three more essays written by fifth grade students detailing how drug abuse has impacted their lives.
(Photo of parents passed out in car with four-year-old courtesy of the East Liverpool (OH) Police Department)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
