Quote:"Our families are dying": A Mother's Plea for Help
Joe's heroin addiction lasted nearly a decade, a time that Allen-Samuel says she was fearful to come home to confront her son. "It's a hell of a ride, it's devastating," she said.
Allen-Samuel tried everything to help Joe. On one occasion, after he had been placed in jail for a minor offense, she had officers keep him there for months knowing that he'd likely not have access to any drugs inside. Meanwhile, she says, Joe's childhood friends were dying one-by-one from overdose.
Joe says he had periods of sobriety but ultimately relapsed. It was not until his second stint in jail, he says, where he vowed to fight back. "That was probably my lowest point," he said. He sought treatment and, ultimately, got clean.
He says losing his closest friends was motivation for him to be there for his girlfriend and young children. He has been sober for more than two years.
"I'm just thankful," said Joe. "[Before] I wasn't able to be a dad. I'm glad I'm able to be here and experience it now."
For Allen-Samuel, the unfolding crisis in New Hampshire should be an impetus for reform. Heroin addiction, she says, is a disease that should be dealt with the same way society treats cancer or any other deadly illness.
http://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/our-...is-n510661