The death of my only son has taken my soul. My mother says “If you survive this, you can get through anything: because there is no greater pain”. I have been very reluctant to tell his story because he went to great lengths to keep me from knowing that he was attending a Methadone treatment center. I have searched my heart for answers, 1 know my son didn’t want to disappoint me and the dreams I had for him. I hope that his story will touch someone, and make a difference. My son grew up in a middle class home; I lived across the street from the schools so we would have easy access to all the baligames. He started playing ball at age 4. I was a team mom and tried to support him in all areas. He was the pitcher on baseball team. Joined the swim team, played soccer several years. Wrestling and football were his favorite sports. He won state championship in wrestling his junior year. Colt was well mannered always respectful, quiet and easygoing. He was popular and had many friends .1 noticed some changes at 17, my husband said he thought that I had structured my son’s life so much that he needed some freedom. I was aware that my son was experimenting with pot and oxycontin. He assured me that this was not an everyday thing. I really thought this was just a phase: I never dreamed this would ultimately lead to his death. My son was 22 yrs old at the time of his death. He worked with my husband doing construction after high school. My son was on vacation in South Carolina at the time of his death. The cause of death was a drug induced cardiac arrhythmia. I am a registered nurse and was unaware how lethal methadone is until the death of my son. I spoke with the coroner in South Carolina and she informed me that the amount of Methadone found on them should be investigated. I requested his records and discovered he had been attending a clinic in Rossville, Georgia where he was given 6 days of take home medications. I wondered why this would be the first line of treatment for drug addiction? I researched the subject and was told that Methadone isn’t a cure that many people remain on this drug for life. The success rate for detox was 10-13%. This was astounding to me. Why would anyone choose this treatment? The dosing is subjective, increase till cravings subside. They actually think a drug addicted person will be able to refrain from other drugs because their given this! It makes you wonder what cliental they think they are servicing. My sons friend was allowed to take xanax with his methadone, I am sure my son thought if he could legally take both drugs it wouldn’t hurt him either. I know my son is responsible for his actions, hut I feel as a society we have to control what legal drugs we have on the street. The coroner in South Carolina says the death rate is outrageous, I ask was it young people: She mentioned these were people as she put it snowbirds on Medicare that doctors were prescribing methadone because it was a cheap form of treatment. The drug stays in your system so long that many people don’t feel pain relief and take something else and death occurs. Society wake up & save our children. DEMAND stricter regulations. Ironically there is a clinic 15 miles from our home in Seymour he had never applied at. When I spoke with them they informed me that many young people travel to these clinics because of lenient practices.

Sincerely,

Karen Archer, mother