Peter Granitz has lived with drug dealers, a cocaine addict and an alcoholic who was also addicted to speed. The Milwaukee, Wis., senior’s experiences living with such addicts have made him recognize that he’s never going to be hooked on anything.

“I’ve realized that addiction is a complete lack of willpower,” Granitz says.

Granitz and his roommates didn’t talk much about their addictions. He says he knew it was bad, but he didn’t worry that much about them. He was frustrated and annoyed with the addicts sleeping until 3 p.m. They woke up only to drink and stay up until 5 a.m.

“The cokehead was just blowing daddy’s money up his nose,” Granitz says of his former roommate who moved back home to Los Angeles. Granitz says he and his other roommates kicked out another person because, “after a while, you just get tired of caring.” He wishes now that he had been more upfront with his roommates.

Drug abuse in Kansas is on the rise. According to www.dea.gov, methamphetamines are of primary concern. In 2004 there were 376 arrests for drug violations. The Web site also shows that Interstates 70 and 35 are major smuggling routes to eastern states. Of the more than 14,000 people who sought drug rehab in Kansas, 22.6 percent were between the ages of 18 and 25, according to www.drug-rehabs.org. The number of college students seeking treatment for addiction is also growing, says Jason Willoughby, director of public promotions for Narconon Arrowhead and www.stopaddiction.com in Canadian, Okla.

Loneliness, homesickness, the need to fit in, being with the wrong crowd, relationship issues, peer pressure, feelings of inadequacy and the drive for success all cause problems for college students, says Kris Walker, an alcohol and drug counselor for Valeo Behavioral Services in Topeka. Walker, who has worked in drug and alcohol dependency for 17 years, says that there are usually some warning signs to look for in suspected addicts. He says to look for erratic behavior, missed classes or appointments, legal problems, spending a lot of time on the computer, isolation from friends and family and frequent trips to bars, casinos or gyms. He also says to watch out for people who seem to minimize their problems when confronted, people who lie to get money and other deceptive behavior. Some addictions, such as prescription drug abuse, might be harder to detect. Walker says problems like this sometimes go unnoticed until after college because so much partying goes on in college.

Approaching a friend who has an addiction can be nerve-racking, but Walker suggests confronting with respect and honesty. “You don’t want a person to feel attacked, put down or less-than,” he says. “Be sensitive about the fact that people are going to be defensive when confronted.”

Sometimes people must engage in a more serious confrontation, an intervention. An intervention traditionally involves friends, family and people who care for the person sharing their concerns regarding specific behaviors of the addict. Afterward, it means helping the addict find a solution to their problem.

At age 13, Amanda Cobb, public contact supervisor for Narconon Arrowhead in Oklahoma, became an addict. By age 21, she had been in the hospital twice for kidney failure. The third time she went, the doctor said there was nothing more he could do. Her family saw that an intervention was the only way to go. “My sister called me and told me my dad was dying,” she says. Cobb hung up the phone and didn’t answer it for two days, pretending that nothing happened. Finally she went to see her father, who had been sitting in a chair for three days without sleep or food. “I realized I was killing my own dad,” she says. “I knew if I didn’t do it [get some help], then he would die because he had to watch me kill myself by using drugs.”

Cobb is a success story because of the help she received at Narconon. The organization offers help finding local treatment to anyone who calls.

After an addict decides to seek help, friends can help by offering encouragement, honest support and a listening ear, Walker says. They should also look for support for themselves so they aren’t drawn into the addictive behavior.

Contact writer at: eshipps@kansan.com