Anything is possible, according to Eric Zendrosky, 25, a drug addiction survivor from the Ashland area.
"So never say, 'That can't happen to me. I'm never going to be that addict who's sticking needles in my arm,' " Zendrosky said Tuesday before a crowd of 60 at the auditorium at Pottsville Area D.H.H. Lengel Middle School night.
He was one of the guest speakers at the Pottsville Area Tide Task Force's first "Panel Discussion." A free event open to the public, this effort to combat drug addiction was filled with more than two hours of real talk from former addicts, like Zendrosky and Tim Rader, 38, also an Ashland native.
It also included perspectives from a panel of local officials, who included Schuylkill County District Attorney Karen Noon and Pottsville police Capt. Steve Durkin.
Addicts' habits are fueled by their enablers, sources of cash or substances. In Schuylkill County, some drug users prey upon their families by stealing prescription drugs from them, Noon said.
"Sometimes the grandparent is the one who really wants to save their grandson. It is very difficult for a grandparent to come to court and say, 'I want him arrested.' But they do it and we understand it's tough love. Have you seen that increase in Pottsville? I know it's increased north of the mountain," Noon asked Durkin.
"We're seeing a lot of people using prescription drugs. And in all my years of police work, I have always seen the first place junkies steal from is their home," Durkin said.
Others on the panel included Jeffrey S. Zwiebel, district superintendent; Diane Rowland, prevention services coordinator for Schuylkill County Drug and Alcohol Program, Pottsville; William J. Rowan, director of the Schuylkill Health Counseling Center; and Tara Zendrosky, mother of Eric.
Brittany Decolli, a senior at Pottsville Area High School, asked Rader, who said he's been drug-free for eight years, and Zendrosky, who has been drug-free for two, if they still feel the temptation of addiction.
Both said yes.
"They don't come up that often anymore but I still get a lot of thoughts about it. The only difference now is that I'm alert. I know what to do when these thoughts pop up. I have a sponsor, a support group, people to go to, a place to deal with those feelings. All those feelings will pass. The first three months or the first six months or even the first year was a real roller coaster, up and down. There were certain things that would trigger it. It might just catch me and my addiction will start talking to me, and I have to deal with it right away," Zendrosky said.
Reading and meditation are some of the ways Zendrosky said he deals with those feelings.
Both Rader and Zendrosky encouraged young people to stay away from drugs and alcohol and said those who are addicted should seek help. They suggested parents make an effort to talk to their children about the dangers of drug use, no matter how often their children have heard it.
Face-to-face talks can be intimidating, Rader said. He suggested the best place for parents to talk to their children is during car rides. Rader also called the Tide Task Force's first "Panel Discussion," "a genius idea."
"Please don't leave here with questions unanswered," Rader said.
Rader, who now lives in Dauphin County, is no stranger to Pottsville Area. He spoke to students in the high school on Dec. 15 and students in the middle school on Dec. 16, Zwiebel said. Information about his presentation can be found online at timrader.org.
The Tide Task Force was formed in fall 2010. Events it has taken part in include the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration National Prescription Drug Take Back Day events in September 2010 and April 2011.
Anyone with questions can contact the task force at tidetaskforce@pottsville.k12.pa.us.