Jun 3, 2009 1:26 pm US/Eastern
Former Drug Czar Urges Awareness Of Hepatitis C
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
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For more than 30 years, Mike Gimbel has served as a local authority on substance abuse.
CBS
For more than 30 years, Mike Gimbel has served as a local authority on substance abuse. Now the former Baltimore County drug czar sits down with
Kellye Lynn to reveal a surprising medical diagnosis.
At his Baltimore County home, medals and photographs tell a story of miles crossed and challenges won. It's a fitting image of a 57-year-old former drug czar who survived years of substance abuse.
"It made me have courage. It made me fit in and all of a sudden I was one of the guys," said Mike Gimbel.
He says the partying started as a young teen, not long after his bar mitzvah.
"Within a very short period of time, I found myself smoking pot, taking LSD and cocaine and moving up the ladder," he said.
Rock bottom was a heroin addiction that ended after a seven-year stint at a drug treatment program in California. It was called Synanon and was very famous in the '60s and '70s.
He beat his addiction and then dedicated his life to helping others do the same. He was clean, an avid runner and quietly hoped he had escaped his old lifestyle without a scratch. He hadn't.
"About 10 years ago, I was diagnosed with having Hepatitis C. We know it came from my heroin use when I was 19 or 20 years old," Gimbel said.
Hepatitis C is a virsus that causes inflammation of the liver and affects about 3.2 million people in the US. The chronic illness is most commonly spread by sharing needles or other equipment to inject drugs.
Although Gimbel feels great, his liver is scarred and he expects to begin treatment in the near future.
"Ultimately, this disease can lead to liver disease and ultimately you're looking at getting a liver transplant or even worse," he said.
He decided to reveal his illness now out of concern for the young people he encounters who are abusing drugs. He says they don't understand the consequences of drug use adn hopes after hearing about his Hepatitis C, they will.
"They look at me and say, `You look okay, you look healthy, I can do what you did.' Now I can comfortably say I'm not okay, I don't know what will happen. I may not live as long as I should have," he said.
He urges anyone who has used IV drugs to get tested for Hepatitis C.
Several well-known celebrities are also living with Hepatitis C, including actress Pamela Anderson, singers Natalie Cole, Naomi Judd and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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