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!

 

« Finally free from drugs! | Main | Highlights from Marita´s 25 years anniversary »
mandag
mar012010

Marita Iceland - needed more than ever

Posted on Datemar 1, 2010 by AuthorBjørn Olav Thune

 

The team from Marita Iceland: Magnus Stefansson (to the left), Heiðar Guðnason and Sigrun Jonsdottir visiting Marita Foundation in Oslo. Photo: Bjørn 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.

 How did Marita Iceland start up? 

I met Leiv Holstad for the first time in 1998, Heiðar tells. On commission from Reykjavik Police Department I and a chosen delegate from Reykjavik Social Services travelled to Oslo to study Marita Foundation. I was impressed by what I saw. It inspired me and put me on the idea to introduce the same model for Icelandic schools. From Marita Norway we got permission to use the Marita movie and adapt the program to Icelandic circumstances.

We invited Leiv to come to Reykjavik and introduce the program for the police and the social authorities. He also trained the firs lecturer. In November 1998 we started up Marita work on Iceland and I have been the director for this since December 1999.

The Marita Education Program is the official name. The pupils mostly know it as Stop before you start. Beginning of year 2000 the preventative Marita work became a department of  Samhjálp.  Just as Marita Foundation represent Teen Challenge in Norway, Samhjálp became embodied in Teen Challenge International in 2001, where Heiðar is the national director.  

Sigrun Jonsdottir and Heiðar Gudnason are married and they both represent Samhjálp and Marita Iceland. Heiðar is the director for the work, but while looking at his wife, giving her a big smile he tells: – I am just the tool and she is the brain! She is involved in a lot of areas.

Prevention

Magnus Stefansson became a believer and got free from drugs in year 2000.

Magnus is talking to pupils in Iceland

This happened when he was all by himself. His drug abuse had cost him too much and he had reached the point where he decided to put an end to his life. – I wanted to commit suicide. Instead I found life with Jesus, he says having a twinkle in his eyes. Magnus is a prevention worker and every month he has 40 or 60 lectures and film presentations for school classes and parental meetings. The program is called Stop before you start, and has had a big drug preventative effect on the young generation on Iceland.

Magnus used to be one of the best drummers on Iceland. He played in the bands Ego, The Outsiders and The soul of my John. Magnus is also in charge of the music in Samhjálp. – We have our own community center where we have regular meetings on Thursdays and Sundays. We use different kind of rock music and short speeches. Sundays is my responsibility and I enjoy being with young people.

On Thursdays all the people from the rehabilitation centers, and many of their family members attend and use the opportunity to visit and talk to their beloved ones there. Some continue to come there after they have completed their time in rehabilitation and some even join the Filadelfia church. In this way they get a brand new network, which they are in such a big need of, to build up another future with much support.

How is your working day?

 – I spend a lot of time in preparing the days, but the job consists of much more than teaching kids and parents from 7th to 10th grade and high school. While warning against the dangers of drugs, using my own life as an example, I also mention that people can contact me if they need to talk in private. Therefore I have many talks and appointments with youth and their parents after school time.

How many have you reached until now?  

 – Since the beginning back in 1998 we have visited most secondary schools on Iceland, many several times. The first years we visited only 9th and 10th graders. However, three years ago we began a program for 7th and 8th graders. Then we use a softer approach. Magnus is teaching 4500 pupils every year, plus high school students.  – At least 50 000 have listened to us until now, which is actually 20% of the population on Iceland. In 2004 the People’s Health Institute asked for an independent evaluation to measure the effect of the program. The evaluation was executed and led by Sigurlina Davidsdottir, who is a lecturer from Iceland University. This research clearly states that this program Stop before you start has a drug preventative effect causing many to choose to say no to drugs when they are being offered such.

 

Times of Crisis

The Finance Crisis hit Iceland severely. How did this affect your work?

– One of the consequences is that the police had to reduce their budgets. They found that it was no longer their responsibility to do prevention work, so they closed their Prevention Department. That is a pity, since they organized our school visits, and I always brought a policeman with me to the schools. Now everything is on me.

Heiðar and Sigrun (manager of Marita Iceland and his wife) have a son attending 9th grade and Magnus has been visiting that school.  – Now the school would like me to come and teach Marita Education program twice a year, says Heiðar. New gangs of teenagers gather to drink and try drugs. The school thinks this is due to difficulties in the homes caused by the Finance crisis. Many discussions and quarrels occur because of bad economies and this affects the children. The recruitment to the drug scene was big last summer, and this is just one example from one school. For the first time since 1997 the quantity of those who try drugs and alcohol is growing.

Check money and cloth habits

Magnus usually tells the parents to be concerned especially if the children often wear new clothes. Many young people fall into the temptation of earning quick money on selling drugs. Thy do not want to become a burden to their parents and know that they have little money, or hardly money at all. They would rather sell marihuana and hashish. Heiðar eagerly confirms:

 – Unemployment rate is bigger than ever before. It is also a tremendous challenge that we cannot find jobs to those who finish rehabilitation, and some even loose their jobs. People trying to stand on their own feet for the first time, experience once again that they are losers on the work market. Then it is easy to fall back into temptations and shortcuts to provide money. Imagine what it will be like to come off drugs and then, as you are about to rebuild your live you suddenly loose it all, and you can no longer see your future. Yes, it sure takes a strong back to carry something like that, I think to myself.

Soup kitchen and homeless

 – The biggest increase after the Finance crisis we have seen in our soup kitchen. In 2007 we had 21 000 guests. The figures for 2008 showed an increase up till 27 000.  October 15th 2009 we had served meals to 42 000 persons, and that is a doubling the last two years! Earlier only drug addicts and homeless came. Now however, in the middle of the month, when pensions have been spent and used, we see a stream of poor and disabled in need of a meal. Many foreigners who used to work in the construction industry and persons with no substance abuse also come to us. Every day we have open – one meal a day. As mentioned before we also run a home with 20 beds for homeless and a home for mentally ill alcoholics, with 8 beds. The police have told us that since we opened the home many problems in the streets have taken an end. More have quit drinking, and they are not allowed to drink alcohol inside the home. The local government finances four activities in Samhjálp: the soup kitchen, two transfer houses and the home for homeless. The state supports our rehabilitation centers. Other activities are run and sustained on the merciful support of private donors, sponsors, second hand-shop, lottery and other sources.

The team from Marita Iceland visited most of the activities and departments of Marita Foundation Norway in Oslo and we hope they can impart some ideas and inspiration back home. They also wish to start up a prison ministry.  It should also be told that the visit gave a mutual pleasure and inspiration. Marita Norway can learn a lot from the volcano island too!

FACT BOX

Marita and Samhjálp house in Reykjavik

Samhjálp, an organization for detox, rehabilitation, charity and prevention, started up in Reykjavik in 1973 and houses 34 persons in rehab. Every year they have a waiting list as 1200-1300 would like to enter in, but they only have room for 250-300 over a year. The most common treatment lasts for six weeks, but some stay for three months and others for half a year. After rehab tit is possible to stay a year or two in transfer houses. They have three houses, one with 19 apartments, and one with 17 beds and a third one with eight beds. They also run a Soup kitchen, home for homeless and home for mentally ill alcoholics.