Time To Celebrate; Another Day Of Sobriety

Sonora, CA — Another day of sobriety; those were the key words for Sonora´s Don Merchant Thursday during National Methamphetamine Awareness Day.

Hailing from the midwest, Merchant came to California in the mid-70´s and jumped right into the drug culture. For ten years he was addicted to methamphetamine. His weight dropped to 130 pounds, his skin yellowed, he became paranoid and short tempered. He was unable to hold a job. And then his life turned in a positive direction.

Merchant successfuly completed a substance abuse program. His sponsor suggested he give counseling a try … counseling inmates who suffered from drug and alcohol abuse.

Merchant has been doing that for 22 years; clean and sober the entire time. He´s now associated with Kings View, a firm that contracts with Tuolumne County to provide Mother Lode residents with substance and alcohol abuse programs.

Merchant sums up methamphetamine this way; “It´s a drug that gives you nothing and takes everything from you … it´s a harsh drug.”

Written by Bill Johnson