Drug Addiction Stories & Info

From downtown Vancouver comes the success story of Randy Miller- a drug addict reformed, and now leading a happy, healthy life.

Randy says that when a child his dream of fame was to be a hockey star.

He never thought that fame would come by reason of his against the odds recovery from addiction to drugs.

Randy was good at junior hockey, a happy young kid who somehow got into drugs and dropped out of school at the age of 17. It has been said that Randy’s childhood experience of success in the world, was marred by an abusive father.

By 23, Miller had got off drugs, become a welder, and married.

Following leg surgery, that would have been in Miller’s early 30′s, he used and became addicted to narcotics – and ended up back on the street, a dealer in drugs who had his patch corner Columbia and Hastings Street, using heroin and cocaine.

For thirteen years Randy lived on the streets, addicted to drugs – beyond redemption, homeless and cut off from his family.

Not many people walk away from drug use in downtown Vancouver, and Randy Miller has to thank the RCMP initiative of the year 1999 that took live footage of interactions between police and drug addicts in Vancouver – that became the iconic video – “Through a Blue Lens”.

Randy was one of the addict stars of the movie – a heroin addict writhing on the ground in the throes of drug psychosis – a movie that Randy could not bring himself to view for more than a year, so difficult was it for him to confront and face the reality of his addiction.

see article: 

An infection is credited with getting Randy into hospital and the attention of authority figures, that got him onto a methadone program, that he eventually recovered from, to become drug free today.

In 2006, Randy was nominated in and received the eighth annual courage to come back award, in the addiction catagory, at the age of 52, in Vancouver, BC.

Coast Mental Health also tells the story of how Randy got into drug addiction and recovered, to regain employment and a girlfriend, to become a public speaker against illicit drug addiction.

see article: 

It was a definate turning point for Randy when he discovered that against the odds he was not HIV positive, as a result of drug use, and whether it was the hospital and or the Odd Squad that got him back in touch with his family, is really not the point.

Randy met his estranged family, was motivated to get out of drug use, was put on a methadone program – that it took him three years to get out of, and he is now in recovery from drug use and addiction.

Randy is resilient – he should have died on the street – yet against the odds he survived – and according to Randy he does not know how he did it.

Today, Canadian kids in schools get visits from the Odd Squad that informs children about the dangers of drug use and Randy is one of their speakers. There is no doubt that the talks get the attention of kids – but if as a result a child wants to quit drugs - where do kids turn to from there? 

Likely kids will be advised to use the traditional drug based system for detox and rehab if they have a drug problem – not all will have the resilience of Randy to get free of the maintenance drugs that are used to support traditional drug recovery programs, within 3 years or at all.

Well meaning people who provide drug education talks need to be aware that drug-based systems for addiction recovery are not the only option.

Drug free, comprehensive alcohol and drug addiction recovery models are based on scientific principles and natural healing methods – with an evidence based track record of success with addiction recovery.

In February 2012, the Ottawa Citizen ran an article concerned about the current “surge” in presentations of children in ER, suffering from drug related problems, that include the abuse of Ecstasy.

see article 

We have to get real and understand that kids as young as ten know all about drugs, and what they do, in the sense of providing a “high’, some excitement in life, and they know at an intellectual level that drug use is harmful.

None would know better than Randy Miller what it means to use drugs and recover, only to return to that slippery slope, against reason, against better judgement – and relapse for thirteen years.

Drug information is not drug prevention and mixed messages can inadvertantly be given to kids, by people who kicked drug addiction, but don’t really know how they did it.

In Canada, the reality is that despite the widespread use of traditional drug prevention programs, drug use by children is increasing.

Not enough people are aware that traditional drug maintenance programs have a failure rate of about 90% in terms of getting people into independent drug free living, and they expect relapse to occur.

No child wants to use drugs by choice, no child wants to become an addict – no one wants to be on a methadone program when completely drug free addiction recovery is possible.

We don’t help our kids to ovecome drugs – we simply feed into the system when in good faith, we provide drug information that fails to promote natural, drug free addiction recovery programs as being state of the art.

Drug counselors and educators wanting more information should call

Narconon Vancouver  for comprehensive help and advice

on how to help kids find their way out of drug addiction and into a happy, addiction free life.

Diego Armando Maradona is widely regarded as having been the greatest soccer player ever.

Born 1960, near Buenos Aires, he originally played with “the little Onions” team but by age 16 was the youngest international player, playing against Hungary. Two years later he was captain of the World Youth Cup winners, and was transferred to Boca Juniors for 1 million pounds. He was South American Player of the Year for both 1979 and 1980.

In 1982, Maradona signed up with Barcelona, this time the transfer fee was a record 5 million pounds. A success with Barca, Maradona was transferred to Napoli for another record fee of 6.9 million pounds. Between 1982 and 1991, Maradona was arguably at the peak of his career.

 It was in the 1986 FIFA final between Argentina and England that Maradona showed both his brilliance – and human frailty. In the one match – Maradona scored a goal for his team off an illegal handball move, that the referee did not see. Maradona called it an intervention of the Hand of God – others were not so enthusiastic with England manager calling the goal – the hand of a rascal.

Shortly afterwards Maradona scored, legitimately, what has been called the greatest individual goal of all time – the goal of the century. Maradona, unable to pass the ball, continued to run a 60 meter – 10 second dash – past five English players to score a second Argentinian goal – the winning goal of the match.

see article Planet World Cup:

Playing for Argentina in 1990, Maradona’s team lost to the Germans, and some see it as being the beginning of the end for Maradona’s brilliant soccer career.

In 1991, Maradona, playing for Napoli, was arrested – testing positive for cocaine. It was inevitable that he would be suspended, and he served a 15 month suspension.

 In 1994, playing for Argentina, he helped them beat Greece in the first round, only to be caught for using ephedrine drug in the following game against Nigeria. This was effectively the end of Maradona’s international career.

Between1992 and 1995, Maradona played for Sevilla of Spain, and Newell’s Old Boys.

In 1995 he returned to play for Boca Juniors, and suffering obesity he formally retired from the game in 1997, on his 37th birthday.

Between 1997 and 2005, Maradona suffered ill health, obesity and the effects of cocaine use.

Maradona first became addicted to cocaine in the mid 1980′s and by the time of his retirement in 1997, after 17 years as a top player, Maradona’s health was poor. He suffered a cocaine related heart attack in 2000, did some rehab in Cuba, and suffered a further cocaine related heart attack in 2004.

In 2005,  Maradona used stomach stapling to control his weight gain, and made a heroic attempt to get off using cocaine. However in 2007, he was back in rehab for alcohol abuse, after which he announced on Argentine TV that he had now quit alcohol, and had not used cocaine since 2005.

From December 2008, through 2009, Maradona made a comeback to the Argentinian National Soccer team – as a coach. Despite his personal skills, opinion polls were said to indicate that most Argentinian’s did not want him as the national soccer coach – his name tainted by wild behavior and cocaine addiction during his post playing “career”.  His contract as head coach was terminated in 2010.

Some team members say that, despite his unruly reputation they loved playing with the “legend”. Seen as a saint, or a sinner, the Maradona fan club boasts over 100,000 members.

see article:

Maradona still has a world wide following, a website dedicated to his successes as a soccer player.

 In 2000 Maradona published an autobiography, and an internet poll voted him the FIFA Player of the Century – however a panel of FIFA experts later awarded Pele that honor. When Maradona protested at this procedure, two awards were made to both Pele and Maradona, but Maradona remained unsatisfied with this result.

see article:  

In his personal life, Maradona had two daughters but subsequently divorced the childhood sweetheart who became his wife, and also had a son, Diego Sinagra who plays football for Italy.

And so – the Maradona story – an ordinary man, with a talent for playing soccer – elevated to the status of “God”, a divinity according to many Argentine nationals.

He is nicknamed DIOS – the Spanish word for God and the number 10, his playing number.

Maradona was a “Sport Hero”, a symbol – that people have said gave Argentine people a point of focus during times of serious political unrest.

Cocaine makes people feel powerful, invincible – increases energy levels, such that people will use it and think that they are the “top”.

There is no doubt that the public thought that Maradona was “top” – support for the legend lives on. To settle what demons, for what purpose would a man like Maradona need and use cocaine.

Perhaps fame and glory, at the end of the day is both a blessing – and a curse – that does not bring the happiness and personal contentment that we think it might.

If you are into using cocaine – see it as an essential part of your image – don’t wait until it brings you down – as it did Maradona.

 Comprehensive addiction recovery programs can help you come down from cocaine abuse and help you to get straight. There is nothing that cocaine can do – that you can’t achieve on your own. 

see article:

Much talent has been wasted, over the years, careers destroyed, by people using cocaine – simply because they didn’t think that they were good enough – to make it on their own.

Hockey star Claude LaPointe played fifteen seasons with NHL and has the distinction of having one of the NHL’s highest face-off win percentages. LaPointe ranked among the top three players for face-off win percentages – for the entire fifteen years of his NHL career.

 Claude played for the Quebec Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers.

Born in 1968, LaPointe grew up in Lachine, Quebec and even as a child loved the game of hockey. He went into the QMJHL as a teenager where he got paid for playing the sport that he loved. He only ever wanted to play hockey – even refusing an offer of a scholarship with Michigan University.

LaPointe was drafted in the 12th round of the 1988 NHL draft by Quebec Nordiques and spent most of his career with the New York Islanders – until he got into trouble with depression – and drugs, specifically cocaine.

 With the New York Islanders between 1996 and 2003, LaPointe received many awards including the Bob Nylstrom award – three times – that is awarded to players who demonstrate leadership qualities, and dedication to the game. He was recognized for having played over 800 games – in fact over a thousand including playoffs and pre-season matches. Claude also scored over 100 goals and was Assistant Captain to the New York Islanders.

During the 2002-03 season, LaPointe was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers, with a two year contract, and retired in 2004.

A December 2003 press announcement indicated that LaPointe had voluntarily entered the NHL treatment program for depression that he had been self medicating for, supported by NHL doctors Dave Lewis and Brian Shaw.

Flyers General Manager Bob Clarke said – whatever has been going on – LaPointe is getting the help that he needs – and we’ll be here when he comes back.

 see article: 

In about April 2004, LaPointe was given a clearance by the NHL to return to the game.

He went on to become a hockey coach and trains young hockey players – with an ability to bring Midget BB grades up to high Midget Espoir and AAA draft choices – in period of only three months. As a coach LaPointe is as outstanding as when a player on the field – saying that a key to success is understanding what each player needs to keep them improving beyond what they think they are capable of achieving.

Unlike many celebrities who hover between a life of addiction and periods “in recovery” – Claude La Ponte is today completely free of drug use – and completely recovered. His recovery and commitment to hockey is highly regarded – players that he has coached are sought after. LaPointe has a unique player focused approach that brings out the best in talented young hockey players.

In addition, Claude is now an ambassador for the “drug free life” – crediting Narconon with providing the program that got him completely free of cocaine use, his depression and addiction.

see article: 

In 2009, Claude LaPointe, as a former professional hockey player, signed up with Narconon to become a spokesman for Narconon and to join the fight against drugs.

The message that LaPointe gets across is that doing drugs and playing sport don’t mix. LaPointe speaks out against drug use to raise drug awareness in young people, assisting with the successful Narconon drug prevention campaign.

 see article:

 It was in 2009, that Narconon made a pledge to create a drug free Quebec – with a vision of drug free Canada, assisted by many dedicated people and organisations – including Claude LaPointe.

 see article: 

 Such is the stigma of drug abuse and addiction that very often people maintain secrecy and public denial about their issues. When top name celebrities and sportsmen have problems with addiction – it is often covered up.

People with depression, feelings of low self esteem, problems in life that they don’t know how to resolve, often seek out addictive drugs and find a means of escape – famous people in the public eye are certainly no exception.

Claude LaPointe was respected for his acknowledgment that he had a problem and for making a voluntary choice to go into drug rehabilitation. No matter what problems and difficulties drug use might be causing you, a willingness to accept that there is a problem, and a willingness to enter treatment will give you respect – self respect and the goodwill of other people.

 Drug use today is a widespread and worldwide problem – you are not alone. Many people from all walks of life have fallen into drug addiction as a result of using drugs to try and resolve issues in their life.

 The message that sportsmen like Claude LaPointe, and Narconon hope to bring to young people is that doing drugs is never ok – and never a solution to what might feel like overwhelming problems.

If you have a problem with drug use – including alcohol – Narconon is there, and understands what you are going through. Anyone using drugs, who makes the choice to give up their addiction will get the help and support that they need for complete alcohol and drug addiction recovery at Narconon.

You don’t have to live in Canada, or Quebec to enter the Narconon addiction recovery program at Narconon.