How a family overcame
prescription drug abuse

At 26 Mary had the “perfect life” – or at least that is what she told her counselors when she first entered DACCO’s Zero Exposure™ program.  With a young son, husband and a baby on the way her life seemed far removed from what most of us think of when we think of an addict.   It wasn’t until she received a call from the police in July of 2008 telling her that her husband and young son were at a local hospital did she realize what prescription drugs were doing to her family and her unborn baby girl.

Mary, as well as her husband’s, addiction to a variety of prescription drugs started three years ago when they were able to easily obtain prescriptions for oxycodone, oxycotin and xanax.  As her addiction grew Mary eventually lost her job and her young son.  Fortunately for Mary, seven months pregnant she heard about and was referred to DACCO’s Zero Exposure™ program. This innovative program has, since 2004, provided pregnant and post-partum women, who are at risk of or using drugs, treatment and supportive services.   Since 2004 over 400 low to moderate income pregnant and post-partum women have been screened with 70 drug free infants have been born saving over $2 million dollars per child to the community through the elimination of neonatal intensive care stays in the hospital, diversion into the child welfare system, and special classes for substance abuse born children in the school system.  The current average cost of the Zero Exposure™ program for each woman and baby served is less than $3,167.

Programs such as Zero Exposure™ without legislative action will be terminated on June 30.  This vital care system has allowed Mary, and many other women in our community, to successfully deliver healthy, drug free babies.  Mary not only delivered a healthy baby girl in March of this year but also successfully completed treatment on October 18th!  Her husband will also complete treatment at DACCO this year and the family will be reunited to enjoy the holidays together this year because of funding for programs such as Zero Exposure™

Mary will start classes at USF in January in a Master’s program to obtain her counseling degree and wants to share the joy of recovery with others.  “There is so much that DACCO has taught me about communicating and helping others that I want to give just a small part of that back to others who also have struggled with a substance use disorder”