Chad Kobelsky is a skilled steamfitter from Moose Jaw who currently lives in Mossbank. He’s 45 years old. He and his wife have been together 30 years this year. They had their first child when Chad was 19, which caused him to have to “dummy up,” as he puts it, in a very fast way.
Chad says that having kids young might have cost him some years of adventure, but he doesn’t regret it. “It was good,” he says, “it was well worth it, for sure. I’m still lots young enough now, and they’re up and grown and we can do things together.”
Having a good job has meant a lot to Chad. He’s had enough money all his life to do the things he wants to do; to own a house, go on vacations, and buy a ’67 Camaro he was particularly proud of.
But Chad also acknowledges that he has an addictive personality. Things always “start off slow, but it doesn’t take long” for the use to increase. He used marijuana for many years. He doesn’t like alcohol, describing it as a party drug he used when he was younger that was, “never good for (him),” causing fights and disagreements.
When his work sites began introducing drug testing, Chad struggled. Marijuana is sticky. It is fat-soluble, which means it can be detected in the body for many days after last use. Cocaine, on the other hand, has a much shorter detection window, which is why it began to be commonplace shortly after drug testing was introduced.
Chad says cocaine is easy to get, and many workers use it, and so he began to use it. “When I’m straight, I don’t agree with drug use on a job site,” he maintains. “You don’t make safe decisions… but when you’re addicted, you know, you just seem to find ways to justify things.”
It wasn’t long before he was spending big money on coke.
One night, Chad says, a friend left him a stash to pick up. He was home alone, and by the next morning, he owed his friend $900. After he complained about how expensive it was, his buddy said, “Well, hey, you know, I’ve been getting meth…?”
Chad Kobelsky had no idea what he was getting into.
Although he abused the use of marijuana, Chad never came to work high. He never came to work drunk, or drank on the job. After becoming addicted to cocaine, he began to break his rules and his promises to himself. It particularly affected his bank account. However, steamfitters are well paid, and he still had enough to pay his bills.
Chad describes crystal meth as being something “totally different.” It almost immediately dominated his life. He didn’t just stop paying his bills; his bills ceased to matter to him. His work didn’t seem to matter anymore. His family became an annoyance, something to brush off and ignore. He sold his ’67 Camaro.
He describes his use and abuse of other drugs as taking part of his days. Crystal meth “was on a whole other level.” It was not long before it was Chad’s first priority in the morning. Again at mid-day. More at night.
It is cheap and dreadfully available. The high lasts for many hours. It provides an extreme energy boost, spurs short-term creativity, and, of course, it feels good.
It is horribly habit-forming. People who develop an addiction to crystal meth often describe themselves as feeling like gods, as though they can do anything, which causes them to dismiss all warnings and expressions of concern.
Chad describes becoming used to staying up for days on end and waking up in the ditch, or even driving into oncoming traffic. He fell asleep everywhere, without warning. He brushed those experiences off and got high again.
Many people who develop substance use disorders are able to stay functional for long periods. They keep up appearances. They deflect blame, project fault, and make excuses that they are different, and that the drug they are abusing is not so bad. Their brain function alters in such a way that they sincerely believe the internal rationalizations that justify their cravings and increasingly destructive behaviour.
Crystal meth is uncontrollable from first use. “It doesn’t discriminate,” Chad says. He knows creative, smart people in Moose Jaw and the surrounding area who have lost everything. He wants people to know that they cannot handle it, and that it will destroy their lives. He says that if he can stop just one person from ever trying crystal meth, he will feel that his public exposure to embarrassment, stigma, and judgment has been worth it.
To learn more about Chad Kobelsky’s story and the crystal meth crisis in Moose Jaw, search “Stop Mething Around” on YouTube.
For more information about the Moose Jaw Crystal Meth Strategy Committee, visit facebook.com/MJCMSC.
For 24/7 mental health and addictions support anywhere in Saskatchewan, phone 811.
