Reality-Based Program Gives Young People a Jarring Look at the Lives of Those Who Suffer with Drug and Alcohol Addiction

(Wilkes-Barre) - About 175 young people from schools all across Luzerne County received an unprecedent glimpse into the lives of those who are overwhelmed by the power of drugs and alcohol during the first "Journey of Addiction" Program, hosted by Luzerne County Commission Chairman Gregory A. Skrepenak, through the Luzerne County Drug and Alcohol Task Force, and Wyoming Valley Drug and Alcohol Services.  The two-day program which was held on March 19th and 20th, 2007, lead the students on a reality tour of the places and experiences that drug and alcohol users typically encounter as they lead their lives.  The opening session, held at the Luzerne County Courthouse, which was opened by Luzerne County Public Information Officer Kathy Bozinski, featured an overview of the program presentented by Commissioner Skrepenak, and a harsh picture of the tragedy of drug and alcohol abuse by young people in Luzerne County from Court of Common Pleas President Judge Mark Ciavarella.  Following the opening session, the students visited areas of the Luzerne County Correctional Facility in which some of the prison's most hardened criminals are housed.  They then toured Mid-Atlantic Youth Services Juvenile Detention Center in Pittston Township, where they experienced the life of a juvenile offender who is incarcerated. Day Two of the "Journey of Addiction" included a visit to the Clear Brook Lodge treatment center as well as First Hospital of Wyoming Valley, a tour of the county morgue by Luzerne County Coroner Dr. Jack Consalvo, and finally, a meeting at Sacred Heart/St. John's Church in Wilkes-Barre with the families of those who have lost loved ones due to overdoses of illegal drugs and alcohol.