Lisa spent a week in Richland County and met many residents addicted to heroin, but one family stood out from the rest. High school sweethearts Mike and Darla Hawk have been married since 1991, and until four years ago, they were leading a normal life. "We had a nice home, we had nice cars, and we could do pretty much whatever we wanted," Mike says.
These days, Mike and Darla are hooked on heroin and living with their family in a homeless shelter. Mike says their problems started in 2004 when he got hurt at work and was prescribed painkillers. "Before long, I was eating a handful of pills every day to be able to go to work," Mike says. Eventually, he began substituting heroin for the pain medication because he says it's less expensive and much stronger.
Every day, Mike and Darla say they drive to Columbus—100 miles round-trip—to buy drugs. When they can't find a babysitter, they tell Lisa they take their 13-month old son, Cayden, along for the ride, even shooting up in front of him.
Published 09/29/2008
