Elderly junkies find 'real freedom' at Dutch home
<p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="tiny">tiny</span> <span word="fourth">fourth</span>-<span word="floor">floor</span> <span word="room">room</span> <span word="overlooking">overlooking</span> <span word="The">The</span> <span word="Hague">Hague</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="city">city</span> <span word="center">center</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="gray">gray</span>-<span word="haired">haired</span> <span word="man">man</span> <span word="carefully">carefully</span> <span word="plugged">plugged</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="pipe">pipe</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="cocaine">cocaine</span>, <span word="lit">lit</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="drew">drew</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="deep">deep</span> <span word="breath">breath</span>.</p><p>"<span word="This">This</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="real">real</span> <span word="freedom">freedom</span>," <span word="said">said</span> 65-<span word="year">year</span>-<span word="old">old</span> <span word="William">William</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="billow">billow</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="white">white</span> <span word="smoke">smoke</span> <span word="poured">poured</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="nostrils">nostrils</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="wafted">wafted</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="apartment">apartment</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Woodstock">Woodstock</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="Dutch">Dutch</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="elderly">elderly</span> <span word="junkies">junkies</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="addicts">addicts</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="apartment">apartment</span> <span word="block">block</span>, <span word="flanked">flanked</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="canal">canal</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="tram">tram</span> <span word="line">line</span>, <span word="takes">takes</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="unique">unique</span> <span word="approach">approach</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="drug">drug</span> <span word="abuse">abuse</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="helping">helping</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="aging">aging</span> <span word="homeless">homeless</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="city">city</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="streets">streets</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="trouble">trouble</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="law">law</span>.</p><p>"<span word="I">I</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="here">here</span>. <span word="Here">Here</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="police">police</span> <span word="watching">watching</span> <span word="you">you</span>," <span word="William">William</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="rearranged">rearranged</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="paraphernalia">paraphernalia</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="addiction">addiction</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="table">table</span>: <span word="a">a</span> <span word="pipe">pipe</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lighter">lighter</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="mirror">mirror</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="traces">traces</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="cocaine">cocaine</span> <span word="lines">lines</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="old">old</span> <span word="credit">credit</span> <span word="card">card</span>. "<span word="I">I</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span>."</p><p><span word="His">His</span> <span word="hard">hard</span>-<span word="luck">luck</span> <span word="story">story</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="similar">similar</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> 32 <span word="other">other</span> "<span word="older">older</span>" <span word="drug">drug</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="alcohol">alcohol</span>-<span word="dependent">dependent</span> <span word="residents">residents</span>, <span word="including">including</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="women">women</span>, <span word="who">who</span> <span word="live">live</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Woodstock">Woodstock</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="drab">drab</span> <span word="brown">brown</span> <span word="apartment">apartment</span> <span word="block">block</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="stone">stone</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="throw">throw</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="city">city</span> <span word="center">center</span>.</p><p><span word="After">After</span> 33 <span word="years">years</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="living">living</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Spain">Spain</span>, <span word="where">where</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="picked">picked</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="cocaine">cocaine</span> <span word="habit">habit</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="working">working</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="hospitality">hospitality</span>, <span word="William">William</span> <span word="returned">returned</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Netherlands">Netherlands</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>, <span word="hoping">hoping</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="rebuild">rebuild</span> <span word="contact">contact</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="estranged">estranged</span> <span word="family">family</span>.</p><p><span word="But">But</span> <span word="instead">instead</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="enjoying">enjoying</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="reunion">reunion</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="viciously">viciously</span> <span word="attacked">attacked</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="youths">youths</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="homeless">homeless</span> <span word="shelter">shelter</span>, <span word="receiving">receiving</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="beating">beating</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="cost">cost</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="left">left</span> <span word="eye">eye</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="left">left</span> <span word="part">part</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="face">face</span> <span word="paralyzed">paralyzed</span>.</p>
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