Jamie
Merrill Greene
09/21/83
- 03/05/05
A
life too short.
I
wanted to write and dedicate this page to my loving sister. My
sister was taken from this world by a deadly addiction...heroin.
I wanted to post some information on this drug and let the public
know what an epidemic this drug has become and who is being effected
by its deadly grip.
My
beloved sister and friend.
Me
and Jamie at her graduation party.
 
Jamie
with my daughter, Madison and again with my niece, Alyssa.
Rest
in peace Jamie. You and grandma now can hold Madison until we
meet again.
Heroin
I
never thought this would happen to our family. We are an average
family with a good upbringing. Both of us did very well in school.
We lived in an above average neighborhood most of Jamie's middle
grade to high school years.
We
were the only kids in our whole family. This made us close, but
we did have our moments as all sisters do. Especially since I
was 5 1/2 yrs older. Jamie knew everything! She always seemed
to pick the biggest losers to date...even though she was beautiful.
We could never figure out why.
One
of these losers turned her on to heroin. And the story begins.
Jamie was a fun loving girl. BUT she was not afraid of anything.
She had dabbled with drugs in her past, but nothing like what
she would encounter in the year 2002.
Jamie
was invited to snort a white powder, which she was told was "a
crushed up pain pill". Trusting the loser boyfriend..she
snorted it. They both did. Afterward he told her it was heroin.
At this point, there was no addiction for Jamie,but she liked
the feeling it gave her. But the boyfriend was already addicted.
In the later weeks and months, he would invite Jamie to join in
with him, snorting the heroin with cut down drinking straws. I'm
not really sure if she was addicted or not. She says she was not
(while she was clean she said this) but who knows. The boyfriend
left the state due to warrants for his arrest (imagine that).
While
he was gone, Jamie did not use. BUT he had continued to use while
away. He came back in October of 2002. They started hanging out
again. He used the drug alot more frequently now. They started
injecting the drug. Let me give some important info here. Once
you snort heroin for so long...you must use more and more to get
high. This can get expensive. So addicts will start injecting
intravenously. This not only uses less drug (which means less
money), but the high they get from it directly going into the
bloodstream is much more intense. Studies show that once the addict
starts injecting this drug...it permanently changes the users
brain chemistry. Also there is a recovery rate of about 6-8% for
recovering heroin addicts!!! This is unreal.
My
sister talked about her problem to my mom and I when she was clean.
This is how I have the information I'm posting. She also always
would say.."I'll never overdose or get a bad batch. I know
the guy I get my drugs from." Well...Jamie did overdose Saturday,
March 5, 2005. Her heroin was cut with cocaine. She unknowingly
injected this combination (after being clean for 3 months) which
took her life. She left behind her parents, her sister (me), her
6 month old daughter and 14 month old nephew and unborn niece.
She
now rests with our loving Grandma and my sweet daughter, Madison.
The sad thing is... this is a real epidemic. Why do you not here
about the deaths... the information is not released. There were
over 20 drug related deaths in the few weeks following my sister's
death. Some related to her death, some not. Meaning some had a
combination overdose of heroin and cocaine..others died from different
drugs. Either way, I feel society at this point, hears about a
drug related death, says they shouldn't have been doing drugs
to begin with, and disregards the matter. My sister wanted to
stay clean. She went to church every Sunday...laid at the alter
and cried to God to help release her from her addiction. God does
not
work this way though. My sister did not have the willpower to
quit...even for her daughter and nephew...which she loved so dearly.
Heroin
and other drugs are not just affecting the slums. Heroin is most
popular in 15-20 year old white females. 15!! Pittsburgh, Pa has
a very bad heroin problem right now. Even though you might not
be in this area..the problem is all over. Please talk to your
children and grandchildren, sisters and brothers, friends
and others you love about drugs and alcohol. Keep talking about
it. Show them pictures of others who have died. You can not hurt
them
by
talking to them about it...you can hurt them by never telling
them and them finding out on their own!
Here
are a few links for more information and hel
 Heroin
Addiction
Message boards and
info
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