Addiction Still Haunts Michigan Family
On December 4, 2005, Barbara Smith lost her 23-year-old son to drugs and alcohol. Brent Legault graduated from Milan High School in Detroit with honors and had three scholarships to college, but his addiction to alcohol and drugs led to crime, homelessness, and eventually his death. He was found dead in his car in a snow-covered parking lot.
"He started using when he was 13. He bought a bag of pot from somebody at school, and he just (started) running with it. He used every day until his death,” Barbara said. "We're a normal, middle class family. Go to church. Very much love each other, and it happened to us. It can happen to anybody."
"We did everything and offered every tool available to us that we knew that was out there," said Tim Smith, Legault's stepfather. They tried their best to save Legault and for them, that is what hurts the most. "It's not just the person that uses that hurts, it's the entire family," Barbara Smith said.
For this family, it's three generations of pain. Legault's parents, grandparents, and his siblings—his sister still can't say his name without crying—are all still suffering today. However, helping others is helping them heal. They are all very active in recovery groups to get the word out about addiction.
"I don't want my son's death to be in vain, and he didn't make a difference while he was here, but I'm going to make sure that his life makes a difference while I'm here," said Barbara Smith.
Organizations such as NCADD celebrate recovery every day, and the Michigan chapter is seeing that their services are needed now more than ever. "Especially with the economy...people are just so down now and they turn to alcohol and anything that will change their mood," said NCADD Clinical Director Linda Woodward. "Everybody at one time or another, they need some type of help. Addiction is no different.”
"We offer an avenue for them to come to receive treatment. To let them know that they can live without the substance that has been plagued in communities and in our neighborhoods," said NCADD Prevention Director James Boyce.
"People are seeking this help and people are getting better. Recovery does work and it's working because of places like NCADD and other organizations around the city of Detroit," Boyce said. "People are now reclaiming their lives back."
