N.B. youth recognized for successfully fighting drug addiction

Sussex, N.B. – Young people being honoured for making positive changes in their lives say drug addiction continues to be a problem among youth.

Eric Rice says he started using drugs at a young age before he got help. He says the drug problem is getting worse.

“It’s starting to go younger and younger and younger,” he said. “There’s people being admitted to treatment at 14 years old.”

Rice was one of the 42 people being celebrated at the Recognition Ceremony at Sussex Regional High School on Sunday.

The Ceremony recognizes young people for dealing with their addictions at Portage, a centre that helps people aged 14 to 21 deal with drug addiction.

“I learned how to cope with stress and all sorts of emotions,” he said.

Samantha Dunston also got help at the centre.

“I was IV using everything,” she said. “Crack cocaine, crystal meth and I was really bad into it for a long time.”

Dunston says the help she got there saved her family.

“They helped me deal with the guilt and everything I had towards my kids and how to deal with my own emotions,” she said.

Adam Burgess, a case worker at Portage, says the centre’s success is built on young people helping one another.

“Counsellors and probation officers can talk to these kids all they want and it goes in one ear and out the other,” he said. “But it really has an impact when someone their own age says, ‘hey you can’t act like that anymore and you can’t talk like that.'”

Burgess worked with Rice and Dunston and says their stories can inspire others to turn their lives around.

“Their outlook on life has changed so drastically,” he said.”It’s unbelievable.”

Now, Dunston and Rice are putting what they’ve learned to good use. They’re both working towards helping other young people fight addiction.

“There’s an exit to the life they don’t want to live,” said Rice.

Dunston agreed.

“It’s hard as hell,” she said.”But in the end, it’s worth it.”