Under the influence of a controlled substance. That was his charge. Methamphetamine use.

Kevin Jason King was kicked out of three drug rehabilitation programs in a row. Once for lack of attendance. Another for missing a probation appointment. A third for still using drugs.

"I went back to court and the judge asked me if I had anything to say," King said. "I lied to him. I tried to get out of it. I asked for another chance. I had letters of recommendation from my pastor and from the programs. So, he gave me another chance."

King was released through Proposition 36 when he was just over 20 years old. Throughout high school he avoided the harder drugs and stuck with drinking and smoking a little marijuana.

"Members of my family used meth," King said. "I kind of despised it. I had a preconceived notion that I didn't want to do meth."

But it was the so-called gateway drugs that led him down the road to a charge of possession of methamphetamine.

"One time a friend and I wanted to smoke some weed," King said. "He didn't have any marijuana, though, but he had some meth. And, I figured, I can try it once or twice. It's like any good fisherman, though. Once he's got you hooked, its pretty hard to get away from it."

Now he describes himself as a "productive member of society." He pays taxes, goes to work and has a family. He's an assistant manager at Cornerstone, the drug rehabilitation program that helped him turn his life around, and he's been clean for six years.

"I get upset when people badmouth [Prop 36]," King said. "If it wasn't for that proposition, I wouldn't be where I am now. Back then, addiction didn't scare me, going to prison didn't scare me. The only opportunity I had to get into these programs was through Prop 36."

King says what helped the most was being away from fellow users. Everyone he knew outside of Cornerstone was using drugs at the time, so going to a place where people could give him "sober support" without the option of using drugs was a big help, he said.

"Many people complain that Prop 36 doesn't have the teeth, the consequences, for users," King said. "What they don't understand is that when I was addicted, going to prison or county jail didn't scare me. There are a lot of people who get court ordered to go to these programs and they may be a little resistant, but Prop 36 allows you to make those mistakes and still gives you a chance to fix things."

King believes that if it wasn't for Proposition 36, he'd be in jail right now, rather than raising a family and helping others conquer their drug addiction.

"Addiction is more of a disease," King said. "I know a lot of it deals with the choices we make, but, when you have a person with cancer, you don't lock them up if they have a relapse and the cancer comes back. Sending people constantly to jail doesn't help things.

"If people don't take advantage of it, then that's sad, but if it saves just one person, then it is worth it."

The reporter can be reached at 583-2425.

(May 24, 2009)