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Boy's 911 drug call on mom should be seen as heroic act

On Lakin Stoppard’s Facebook page, there’s the usual assortment of inspirational memes you’ll find on any practically any young mom’s page. One of the quotes is: “Train your mind to see the good in everything.”

Stoppard, 27, of York County, might have to reflect on that one in the months ahead.

On Sunday her 10-year-old son turned her in for drug abuse.

Northern York Regional Police say the boy also turned in his dad, Anthony Young II, 26. The parents were out of the house when the boy called 911 on Sunday to report what was going on in their home.

Responding to the child’s plea for help, police say they found eight syringes, four packets of heroin, a crack cocaine pipe and other drug-related items.

Both parents face charges of drug possession and child endangerment. Police also charged the mother with public drunkenness.

News reports did not mention the boy’s name, but he’s a hero all the same. He should be a hero, anyway. This was not a matter of violating a family’s privacy or disrespecting one’s parents.

Heroin and crack cocaine are highly addictive, potent drugs. Young and Stoppard need intervention, whether or not they realize it yet — or ever would have realized it before addiction drove one or both of them to a fatal overdose.

It’s no comfort — in fact, it’s alarming — that between them, the mother and father list nearly 400 Facebook friends, most of whom appear to be of the same mid-20s age group. Did not any of these friends have the least suspicion that their friends were using cocaine and heroin? Did they not consider it their business to get help for their friends, or did they just not care?

Does their circle of friends share a disregard not only for the dangers of illegal drugs, but also for the consequences of illegal drug use with the knowledge that their child is watching them?

To ask the question more generally, are any of us tolerating such examples of dangerous behavior being exhibited in front of our children or grandchildren? If so, then what are we going to do about it?

That 10-year-old boy will be in for immediate grief. His parents could go to prison. He’s likely to be placed with foster parents. He might face ridicule and embarrassment.

Those are all better alternatives than a mother or father who died too young, a victim of drug abuse.

So, Lakin Stoppard and Anthony Young, please follow your own advice: train your minds to see the good in what your boy just did for you.

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