The long-term scars left by alcoholism, one woman speaks out about the importance of treatment

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A former alcoholic is speaking out about a public danger: substance abuse. Molly O’Neill of First Call in Kansas City says up to 10 people can be impacted when a family member or friend partakes in substance abuse.

Molly O’Neill is the President and CEO of First Call, a substance abuse outreach program. Just 26 years ago, she was an alcoholic. O’Neill sought treatment, healed and is now waging a battle against the disease of alcoholism.

She told NBC Action News, “The fact that this is a biologically-based brain disease makes it pretty apparent that we need to be treating it as the chronic public health condition that it truly is.”

The interview was sparked by the arrest of a mother on Thursday. Kelly Dixon, 42, was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated. Dixon told police she drank a margarita, beer and four shots before climbing into her car to drive to her daughter’s school. Dixon crashed her car in the parking lot before her daughter approached the vehicle.

O’Neill said, “Folks like Ms. Dixon have an illness and they need help and that's the only way that we're going to intervene on this public health issue."

She reports that up to 10 people can be impacted when a family member or friend partakes in substance abuse.

Then, there’s the greater economic impact of homelessness, joblessness and hospital visits.

O’Neill added, “There is absolutely hope until that person loses their life to substance use disorder."

She’s lost a loved one to substance abuse. Luckily, her siblings are all recovering alcoholics.

Now, she holds out hope for Dixon, a woman with three felony convictions under her belt.

In 1997, Dixon was convicted of involuntary manslaughter when her son died in a car crash. Dixon was driving the car under the influence. Two years later, she was convicted of driving while intoxicated.

First Call reaches out to alcoholics and their families all over the country. Here in Kansas City, the group has a relationship with the Jackson County Jail. O’Neill couldn’t say whether or not First Call would help Dixon specifically, but she did say he hopes Dixon receives long-term treatment.

Visit http: www.firstcallkc.org to learn more about alcoholism. Also, use the web site as a source for tools to combat the life-altering disease.