Staying clean after Winnebago County Drug Court

ROCKFORD Doctors warned Chris Cole that the next time he used heroin he could die.

It was four years ago, and Cole, then 21, had spent two months in the hospital with a heart infection brought on by injecting himself with the drug.

I didnt even care when I did it (again), said Cole, now 25. I lived to use and hoped I would die.

His life continued to center on the drug, which can annihilate the respiratory system and cause a slow and irregular heartbeat over time. Any cash he had, he said, was spent on heroin almost as quickly as he could earn it. His previous attempts to get clean through treatment had failed, mostly because of his unwillingness to commit to a program, he concedes.

I thought I was going to die a monster and nobody was going to miss me, Cole said.

Cole eventually did get clean, agonizing through the effects of withdrawal inside a Winnebago County Jail cell. It was his arrest, and subsequent sentence to Winnebago County Drug Court, that finally ended years of abuse.

A week after celebrating his 22nd birthday, Cole was arrested in Rockton. He said he had been a constant problem for Rockton police. Their reports show they were familiar with him. An officer recognized him driving on Blackhawk Boulevard on April 13, 2010. The officer knew he didnt have a license, court records show. Cole was arrested for driving on a suspended license. Then police searched him and found a heroin needle, cooker spoon and heroin residue. He was charged with felony possession of less than 15 grams.

Cole pleaded guilty in June 2010 to the Class 4 felony and sought Drug Court as a way to avoid prison. He made dozens of mandatory appearances in Drug Court, was required to attend treatment and counseling, and took regular random drug tests.

Its a demanding program for good reason. Many people entered into Drug Court face the same fatal risk as Cole. Since Jan. 1, four people enrolled in Drug Court have died from overdoses.

Deadly consequences A growing number of people are dying from drug overdoses in Winnebago County. In 2012, 107 died from a drug overdose. Thats a nearly 43 percent increase from 2011, according to Winnebago County Coroner Sue Fiduccia.

Here is the original post:
Staying clean after Winnebago County Drug Court