“I’m an alcoholic. I haven’t had a drink since July 1976. I have had 1 cigarette since 1986, after smoking 3 packs daily. I started smoking at age 12. I was a high roller in the ghetto. There always was a crap game on the street. While the stakes were low, it was all we had, or what we could steal.”

“I left home at age 13, got involved with a neighborhood gang... liquor was the candy of our choice. I never got into other drugs – I was scared of them because of what they did to my mother. My 5 brothers are chronic alcoholics and 3 of the 5 are addicted to heroin, cocaine, hashish and anything else that is available. They also sell drugs.”