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“Drugs? Just Shake Hands With Satan!”

What effect can “recreational” use of drugs have on the human body? Consider Charles. He was 15 years of age when introduced to drugs by his older sister. Over the next 15 years, he used marijuana, cocaine, and heroin in various combinations. He served time in a host of correctional institutions for petty theft and armed robbery. His drug use led to his contracting AIDS. Stunned when told that he was carrying the AIDS virus, he watched helplessly as his tall, powerful, muscular body wasted away to a mere spindle of what he once was. Read his sad story and then ask yourself, ‘Is it worth it?’

“YOU destroy a marvelous body. And there are so many things that you miss out on, messing with drugs just to stay high. First, you miss playing with your daughter. You can’t play ball with her, you can’t run with her. I missed seeing my only son grow up from a baby, walking and things like that. I can’t take my wife dancing because I can’t dance anymore. Most sports I can’t play anymore because not only is my body numb but it moves in slow motion like a robot.

“My hands don’t work as they used to. I can’t shave or shape my mustache or cut my hair as I used to. I can’t dress anymore as I used to. I can’t even button my shirts. I can’t use the bathroom alone. At times I can’t even get an eyelash out of my eye because my fingers don’t work. I can’t cook anymore as I used to. My profession as a tile and carpet layer has been taken away from me because of that virus, due to the drugs.

“Everyone has to wait on me. I’m like a baby. My brain doesn’t function as it used to. I forget. For instance, I have to think about my home attendant’s name. My wife repeats things over and over, and I forget them. And the problem is, it’s getting worse.

“Everything hurts, every second of the day. The pain can make a strong man cry, no matter who you are. The pain pills they give you​—they eat a hole in your stomach, and you get an ulcer. So you can’t take the pain pills all the time. And you bleed and cough up blood from the stomach ulcer. If I get cut in any way, I have to worry about infection. My skin is very delicate. I cannot wrestle and play with my son anymore.

“I thought I had the game beat. Fifteen years messing with drugs​—I thought I got away with it. And now I have the AIDS virus. I don’t know when I’m going to die.

“So if anyone wants to trade in Jehovah for that, let them know. Drugs? Just shake hands with Satan because that’s his tool!”

After learning the truth of God’s Word, Charles broke the drug habit and became a baptized Witness of Jehovah. While in the hospital, he preached without letup to doctors, nurses, and fellow patients. However, three and a half years after his baptism, Charles died, January 27, 1990, 37 years of age.