The pulls of drug and alcohol dependency have no bounds and respect no calendars.

Two St. John the Baptist incidents during December illustrate the struggle.

“There is a young boy; I know him, coached him in basketball,” Sheriff Mike Tregre said. “He has a prescription pill addiction, a mojo addiction. He’s stolen from his mom and dad and all the stuff is in the pawnshop. They’ve gone to retrieve their property and paid for their own property.

“Finally, the parents couldn’t take it anymore. They filed criminal charges against their own child.”

Tregre said the young man has gone from using and obtaining narcotics anyway he knew how and stealing from his own family to a life of no drugs as a member of the St. John the Baptist Parish jail.

“That was right at Christmas,” Tregre said. “(His parents) call me everyday and ask, ‘how is he doing?’ I’m watching him; he is fine. He is being taken care of, getting the rest he needs and eating three meals a day.”

The 30-year law enforcement veteran calls it a “forced rehab” and freely admits it should be easier for people to get drug treatment or for loved ones to turn somewhere for help.

“When (his parents) call, it tells me this boy is loved,” Tregre said. “He is not a bad person. He has a bad problem. That goes for a lot of people in St. John Parish dealing with family members fighting addiction. They are not bad but they are doing bad things.”

Tregre said he recently worked with a grandmother who was almost choked unconsciousness by her grandson, who proceeded to steal her jewelry.

“We picked him up and said you have to file charges on him,” Tregre said. “A couple of days later she said she couldn’t take her baby being in jail. I said if you get him out, he is going to hurt you.”

Those on the front lines of addiction know the stakes and are honest about the challenge in going clean.

Harold Keller, who recently celebrated 44 years sober, is one of those people. He and his wife are routine visitors at Fontainebleau Treatment Center in Mandeville, speaking to those suffering through addiction and offering words of encouragement.

It’s an effort he’s practiced for 20 years.

“The success rate over there is about 3 to 5 percent,” Keller said, adding the results are about the same at free and expensive treatment centers. “I can’t tell you how many times I go to any treatment center and see so many people keep coming back.”

Despite the long odds, which have included far too many deaths, Keller sees hope for those ready to make a change.

It’s the realization of the problem that is so difficult for the troubled and their loved ones.

“I do a family intervention, and some parents just can’t handle being honest,” Keller said. “They always have to put the blame on the people their kid is running around with. And the people that run around with him want to blame the fella we’re talking about.”

Through his visits to jails and treatment centers, Keller stresses that hope remains. He is a strong advocate for Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.

Keller’s Get High on Life ministry can be reached at 985-652-8477 or hkeller@comcast.net.

“I would like to say plenty of the people I talk to change their lives around. That would not be accurate, but I’ve seen miracles happen,” Keller said. “There are people who are willing to be sponsors of those who have a problem. People are willing to help if they want to reach out and change.”

Those with dependency concerns can also contact the River Parishes Assessment Center in LaPlace at 985-651-7064, which is a function of South Central Louisiana Human Services Authority.

Stephen Hemelt is publisher and editor of L’OBSERVATEUR. He can be reached at 985-652-9545 or stephen.hemelt@lobservateur.com.