With drug abuse as common as it is, many treatment centres are seeing a significant rise in the number of individuals seeking addiction treatment to overcome their addiction. Some addicts will be in denial about their situation and will refuse to accept help, believing that they do not need it; others will refuse assistance as they may perceive it as a sign of weakness. Either way, drug abuse is becoming a serious problem across the country, and there have been many incidents where parents have been found passed out due to a drug overdose with young children present. This is causing widespread concern.
Innocent Children
Thirty-six-year-old William Ballard and thirty-two-year-old Delaney Crissinger were found passed out in the back of their SUV with various drug paraphernalia located throughout the car; the most shocking thing was that the couple’s two young children were in the back of the car at the time. Passers-by filmed the pair and called the police to come to the scene as they feared for the children, who were stuck in the back seat. One witness, Eric Roundtree said, “We don’t really see what addiction is about until we see something like that, and that’s what saddens me most about it. You’re an adult, you can do what you want to do, but don’t get your kids involved. And those two little innocent kids didn’t have nothing [sic] to do with this, but now they’re shaken up.”
Concerned Family Members
Mr Roundtree explained that once they realised what was going on, passers-by began to park their cars around the SUV to prevent the couple from waking up and making an escape attempt. However, the pair were still passed out when the police arrived. They were arrested after police found a stash of drugs including heroin, fentanyl and methamphetamine, lying in the car; they even found a full syringe placed next to a container of baby formula, which was extremely alarming. One of the children was aged one while the other was only five-months-old; they have since been placed into the care of other concerned family members; the parents are looking at charges of child neglect and drug possession.
Creating Other Victims
Lieutenant Joe Giascone explained, “It’s a sad situation all around. You’ve got people that are committing crimes and using drugs, doing those things, then you have them bringing their kids along with them creating other victims. Anyone that would leave kids in the back of the car when they have the amount of drugs that were in this car, it’s sad for the kids.”
However, it is not just these parents who have been found in this situation, as there have been more and more recorded incidents of addicts being discovered passed out in vehicles with children in the back seat. One incident in September 2016 sparked great concerns after it highlighted the full extent of the drug epidemic that is gripping the world. Another couple who had allegedly overdosed on heroin were found with their young child in the back of the car and images, of this were released by police in an attempt to discourage others from drug abuse. Another aim of showing these images was to get those who are currently suffering from addiction to partake in addiction treatment to overcome their problem.
Safe and Comfortable
The thought of going through addiction treatment can be frightening or nerve wracking for some affected individuals, and this can often put them off seeking help. Many treatment centres will allow a person to go in before starting their treatment to meet staff and get to know their way around the centre so that they feel comfortable. The main aim of these facilities is to ensure that the individual feels safe and comfortable in the knowledge that they will be supported at all times by attentive staff.
Further Information
If you are concerned about either yourself or a loved one’s addiction and do not know how to go about getting help, get in touch with us here at Liberty House. We have assisted countless people in the same position as you. Our priority is to ensure that anyone who is determined to overcome their addiction does so and goes on to lead a healthy, happy life. You can rest assured that you will receive around-the-clock care at our clinic. For more information, contact us today.
Source: Video captures junkie couple passed out in car while two babies, aged 1 and five-months, sit in the back (Mirror.co.uk)