Pubdate: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 Source: Ocean County Observer (NJ) Copyright: 2001 Ocean County Observer Contact: 8 Robbins St., Toms River, NJ 08753 Fax: (732) 557-5758 Website: http://www.injersey.com/observer/ Related: Ibogaine links http://www.cures-not-wars.org/ http://www.ibogaine.org/ http://www.ibogaine.co.uk/ OUR FAMILY WON THE BIG ONE IN 2000 As the new year begins, I know I'll always remember 2000 as the year we won the big one. My wife and I did better than win the lottery or profit from a wise investment. To the contrary. A decision we made in March wiped us out. We borrowed $1,500 to add to our only $1,000 and invested it all in Ibogaine. It was all we had and two weeks later it was gone. So how is that winning the big one? Ibogaine is a drug used in treating addiction. It is illegal in only four countries, including the United States. We watched my wife's son's heroin addiction bring him to the brink of death. Several drug- treatment programs had obviously not been successful and there were no available beds in his greatest time of need. My wife lost a 16-year-old son in 1984 when he accidentally shot himself. Her only daughter died at age 21 in an auto accident last year. We could do nothing to save them, but we had to try to finally end the addiction that was about to claim another son's life. Carl left for Amsterdam, Holland, in March to take the Ibogaine treatment that saved his life. Combined with proper aftercare, his life is finally his own. We won the big one. Carl was so excited to be well that he explained the success of his treatment in a face-to-face discussion with Gov. Whitman and Christine Grant, state Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, on May 3 of last year. Sadly, neither followed through with their promise to look into Ibogaine as a future treatment option in New Jersey. Still, it was nice to win the big one. Ibogaine was the investment of a lifetime. JIM MILLER Silverton - --- MAP posted-by: Terry F