Voice 1 Hello. I'm Ruby Jones. Voice 2 And I'm Marina Santee. Welcome to Spotlight. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
A small candle burns. It represents life - that was. It represents the lost promise of a future. The candle is a picture, on a website. It is on a ‘memorial wall.' On the ‘wall' is a long list of names. There are hundreds of names. Each one represents a life lost. Messages fill the website pages. There are messages from mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers. Each message tells its own powerful, tragic story. All the stories are united by death and drugs.
Voice 1 June the twenty sixth is the International Day Against Drug Abuse. Drug abuse means that the drugs are not being used to cure people of a sickness. Today, we share thoughts and words from different people. Drug abuse has changed their lives forever.
Voice 3 ‘We lost our daughter, Meggin, to drugs. She was twenty one years old. Meggin was the light of our life. It seems like our light has gone out. We will never forget the promise that she held for a brighter tomorrow.' Voice 4 ‘I recently lost my beautiful son, Eddie. He died from drugs. He was my best friend. He was the kind of son any mother would wish to have. It was an honour being his mother.' Voice 5 'February 29th, 2004. Cause of death - methamphetamine. Our daughter, Jillian was fifteen [15]. She tried methamphetamine for the first and last time. She paid for her mistake with her life. We will continue to suffer for the rest of our lives.' Voice 1 The number of drug related deaths each year is difficult to know. But one thing is for sure. The number is too high. The United Nations has an organisation to fight drug abuse. It is the UNODC. The UNODC estimates that two hundred million [200,000,000] people around the world use illegal drugs. It also estimates that around sixteen million [16,000,000] people use one form of the opium plant - such as heroin or morphine. And, around thirteen million [13,000,000] people use the ‘party' drug cocaine. Voice 2 Recently the UNODC has become concerned about another ‘party drug' - crystal methamphetamine, or crystal meth. Methamphetamine is a powerful man-made drug. Doctors sometimes use amphetamine drugs to help people with narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is a sleeping disorder - it causes a person to sleep too much! Amphetamines help to energise the brain, and so keep people awake.
Voice 1 The problem is that some people take amphetamines for fun. This is very dangerous - and illegal. Drug suppliers mix amphetamines with other substances. They form different kinds of dangerous drugs. One of these is crystal meth. Crystal meth looks like clear pieces of rock. Drug users often heat and smoke these small rocks. On the streets, crystal meth has different names - ‘ice, glass, crystal, and jibb'. Voice 2 Crystal meth gives users energy and feelings of well-being. However, it also damages the brain, lungs and liver. And it affects a person's behaviour - making him violent and depressed. Too much crystal meth can burst blood tubes in the brain - causing death. Yet many people continue to use it.
Voice 1 Kanani Kahalioumi grew up around drugs and alcohol. But, he managed to resist using them. Instead, he did water sports! He surfed the waves of the ocean with great skill - and enjoyment. However, when he reached international level, he started to take drugs. Mike Procter reads his story.
Voice 6 ‘In the World Championships of 1988, I came third! I was seventeen [17]. I had lots of money and nice clothes. But I was not prepared for all the success! I got involved in a particular way of life. Everywhere I went, I drank alcohol and smoked marijuana. So, I did not compete at the level I could. At the age of twenty-two [22], my professional surfing career ended.
'I lost everything. I became very depressed. I flew back home to Hawaii. My childhood friends and I all grew up in poor conditions. But now I discovered that they were dealing drugs. I got involved straight away. I started dealing drugs - crystal meth, cocaine, marijuana. But in the end, I started taking them. I became highly addicted to crystal meth. I could not stop using it. Crystal meth makes you violent. When you use it, you are likely to get into trouble with the law. I was in and out of prison. My life was bad. I stole. I had no money, no home, broken relationships. I had nothing. I wanted to kill myself.
'My worst moment came when I was twenty-seven [27]. I had been drinking alcohol and using crystal meth. I went into a bar, a drinking place. I had a big fight with my girlfriend. The security men tried to stop me. I remember, they held me to the ground and hit me. I told them I would kill them. I went home and put my shotgun in my truck. Then, I drove my truck back - straight into the bar. I pushed the security men to the floor. I was ready to shoot them. I got my gun out.
'But suddenly, I stopped feeling the effects of the drugs and alcohol. I was shocked at myself. What was I doing? I left. But later, the police arrested me. They charged me with three attempted murders.
‘The judge said I needed drug treatment. So, I went to a centre called "Ho'omau Ke Ola". In English, this means "to live life as it was meant to be". ‘At the treatment centre they made us work on a farm. We farmed a taro field. Taro is an imprortant plant in Hawaiian culture. Taking care of the land, I discovered my identity.
‘The recovery programme offered me a new way of living. It gave me a set of guidelines that I can live by. All I have to do is stay without drugs one day a time.' Voice 1 Today, Kalani Kahalioumi manages a programme to help young drug addicts in Hawaii. Stories like Kalani's offer hope for people already trapped by drugs. But Kalani knows that he is one of the lucky ones.
The memorial wall website helps us remember those who were not so lucky. The message is clear - avoid taking drugs.
The writer and producer of today's programme was Marina Santee. The voices you heard were from the United Kingdom, the United States and South Africa.. Computer users can hear our programmes on our website at www.radio.english.net. This programme is called, ‘Crystal Meth: A drug problem.'
