ACE learned of Adam back in 2008 when his mother reached out to us for help. Back then Adam
was huffing up to 12 to 15 cans of computer duster a day, not realizing with every inhalation he could have lost his life. Adam's mother says, "just like most parents, I had no knowledge that these types of products are being used to get high...drug education for my son didn't include inhalants. Inhalants weren't even on my radar. After [his] several tries at detox, rehab, and over 10 relapses, I was hopeless and in the greatest despair of my life trying to prepare myself for what I thought was the inevitable death of my son, and I could not imagine life without him." She further explained how she spent many hours educating herself, posting on ACE's
message board, and going into local stores to share Adam's struggles.
June 15th marks Adam's 18-month sobriety date! When we asked Adam how he did it, he proclaimed "none of this would have been possible without my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and of course the Center of Hope." Center of Hope (
http://www.clearwaterdreamcenter.com/) is a men's faith based substance abuse program in Clearwater, FL. Adam's mother echoed sentiments of the Center by adding, "
by the grace of God, the Center of Hope, ACE's program, and Adam's willingness to get better, he is free living life again, and educating others about the dangers of huffing!"
Adam has indeed been very busy educating others on inhalant abuse prevention. In addiction to being a frequent contributor on our message board, he has been to local schools and churches talking to youth and sharing his story. He's also utilizing social media to further spread the message by putting his speeches up on YouTube and inviting persons to reach out to him via his Facebook page.
Adam is grateful is to be alive and is excited that he will be starting college for Visual Effects and Motion Graphics on July 12th. With this post we want to thank him for doing his part in the community and wish him best of luck in his future endeavors. Adam's mother says it best:
"There is no one answer for getting help for this addiction, and there are many avenues to take when it comes to rehab, support, and 12 step recovery programs, but it is without a doubt, that program like the Center of Hope, ACE and Inhalant.org have made a difference in educating the public, and saving lives. All of these together, plus the grace of God saved my son's life."
To get in touch with Adam, feel free to e-mail him at
alongcoh@yahoo.com. If you or someone you know is abusing inhalants please contact a medical professional for help. You can also look up resources in your state at
http://dasis3.samhsa.gov/. Please visit
Inhalant.org to learn basic information on inhalant abuse, including sign/symptoms of an abuser. Just want to talk? Our
message board provides a community for that purpose.
Subsequently, the Trenton Thunder (Double-A New York Yankees affiliate) will welcome ACE on Saturday, June 26th at their Inhalant Awareness Night game. Don't miss the first pitch at 7:05 PM.