Overdoses versus deaths related to drugs

 By Leiv Holstad

According to Norwegian statistics on deaths related to drugs, more than 4000 young people died from overdoses on drugs between 1980 and 2008. When I produced the first Marita movie back in 1983/84, I focused on overdoses. In one of the movie scenes we fixed a drug addict’s funeral.

The coffin was lowered into the grave, and the song “Farewell Marita” could be heard while death notices with first name and age on many of my personal friends who died from overdoses were shown. To be sure that we had the right information I contacted the Police and was given access and permission to see the files on persons who at that time had became part of this tragic statistics.

That was a sad experience. I found the names of many I already recognized and knew about, but also names on more friends I still did not know had died. Among them I also found the name of the latest girlfriend I had when I was still on drugs.

When I came to my senses I asked the policeman: Are these all?

Yes, he answered. But I did not find “Jazzen” (The jazzy one) there? Well, I do not think he died from an overdose? The policeman said. No, he died from liver failure, I replied, but his liver was damaged by drug abuse. Neither did I find his wife, Sissel. She had been shot in a drug clash. Nils was not there either; the bus ran him down after taking some LSD. “Krølle” (The curly one) hanged himself in Oslo Prison when he was on a bad comedown. None of them died from overdoses, but they died due to other reasons, the policeman said. Therefore they are part of other statistics.

So what is my conclusion after all this? The deaths due to drugs are more than the statistics tell us. To even think about this could make us all lose courage, but actually we are quite many who survived! Through the effort of Marita Foundation and similar organizations, many have been helped out of a heavy drug abuse. In our web news you can find some stories concerning this.

In this way we have made this tragic statistics look a little less than it would appear otherwise. Thank you to all who join us in this battle!

 

mandag
mai022011

A Man of Unlimited Faith

Posted on Datemai 2, 2011 by AuthorLeiv O. Holstad

In an e-mail I (Leiv) recieved today, Tom Bremer, the leader of Teen Challenge Europe, wrote the following:

The funeral is today in Texas – as I understand it, it is more private for family and very close friends.
There will be a memorial service at Times Square Church on Saturday, May 14.  They are expecting thousands to attend. If you want to go, you can get all of the information at the Times Square Church website: http://www.tscnyc.org
The service will also be available live on video stream from that website. David Wilkerson's brother Don say that the family are at peace, but he request prayers for the family. -Tom Bremer

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torsdag
apr282011

David Wilkerson's last words

Posted on Dateapr 28, 2011 by AuthorLeiv O. Holstad

In his blog "Daily devotions" on Wednesday, April 27, 2011, David Wilkerson wrote the following:

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torsdag
apr282011

David Wilkerson killed in car accident

Posted on Dateapr 28, 2011 by AuthorLeiv O. Holstad

The founder of Teen Challenge, Rev. David Wilkerson (79) was killed in a car accident the 27th of April in which his wife, Gwen, was also injured and is in serious condition. In 1958, when “Brother Dave” was 26 years, he received a calling from God to reach out to gang members in New York City. There he met Nicky Cruz, an immigrant from Puerto Rico, who was the leader for the criminal "Mau Mau gang".

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onsdag
mar102010

Finally free from drugs!

Posted on Datemar 10, 2010 by AuthorLeiv O. Holstad

Many were taken aback when media reported that Hank von Helvete (Hank von Hell), lead vocalist in Turboneger, was going to play the lead in the musical Jesus Christ Super Star. Not only that he was going to play Jesus, but that he stood forth and told that he had quit drugs and considered himself as a Christian.

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mandag
mar012010

Marita Iceland - needed more than ever

Posted on Datemar 1, 2010 by AuthorBjørn Olav Thune

In connection with the 25-year of jubilee we invited Marita Iceland to Oslo. They have had a remarkable impact on schools in Iceland and received good credits. – We can truly say that the good prevention work Marita Foundation Norway has performed for many years, with Leiv Holstad as a main force, has had a remarkable impact in Iceland. Many teenagers have been saved from getting addicted to drugs. It was therefore a pleasure to me to come together and celebrate 25 years of jubilee, says Heiðar Guðnason, manager of Samhjálp Foundation. The team from Marita Iceland: Magnus Stefansson (to the left), Heiðar Guðnason and Sigrun Jonsdottir visiting Marita Foundation in Oslo. Photo: Bjørn Olav Thune

 

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