Tonight in a forum, we'll take a deep dive into Kentucky's and the nation's drug epidemic.

One of the stories will highlight is of Kongo, Jonah.

He's in recovery from alcohol, meth and heroin.

And his addiction changed the path of his life after graduating from law school.

Now, seven years in recovery, he's working to help others with substance use disorders.

Our Kacey Parker Belle tells his story.

The war on drugs is a failed war.

It is a war really on people and in particular black and brown people.

We have 50 years of a war on drugs, and yet here we sit today talking about addiction and recovery.

It's not working.

Kongo Njuguna has a personal relationship with the war on drugs.

He's in his seventh year in recovery.

When I was in my addiction, I'm not I wasn't, nor have I ever been an enemy combatant of the commonwealth or this nation.

I was a sick person trying to get well.

And I found my medicine and recovery.

Kongo says his relationship with drugs and alcohol began young at 13 and that it spiraled out of control after taking a job in Louisville at the county attorney's office.

While I was here as a county attorney, my addiction really spiraled out of control.

I eventually became I got arrested.

I fired myself from this job and things really spiraled out of control.

I was on the news.

I was on the newspaper.

After that, I distance myself from my family and my friends.

And I ended up, you know, my addiction got worse.

To heroin and Matt.

His addiction led to a freefall of his professional career and his personal life.

He was suspended from the bar.

He separated himself from family and friends.

He spent time homeless.

The system gave me incarcerations and fines and fees I couldn't pay.

What I needed was help.

I needed a mental health bed.

I needed a detox bed.

I needed to go to recovery.

Now Kongo can see what people in recovery need.

You know, we have a cell, a jail cell for someone, but we don't have a detox bed, Mental health bed.

That's what we need.

This is a health crisis, not a criminal legal crisis.

Kongo got help through his brother, who is also in recovery.

Then he found a bed and the help he needed at the healing place.

Eventually, though, I found my way to 10th and market the healing place.

I went through their long term recovery program, was there for about nine months.

And once sober, the community, his community picked him up and helped him get a job.

You know, one of the great things about this community is, especially the legal community, I had some friends.

And when they found out I was getting sober, they were like, hey, I got a job for you.

So I was able to find work, got my license back, was practicing law for a little bit, and then a job opened up at the ACLU of Kentucky.

And so I eventually moved there.

Now, Congo is working to help others like himself struggling with addiction, but looking for help.

As a policy analyst at the ACLU of Kentucky, Congo is working to get legislation passed that will change the path for people who live similar experiences and need help just like him.

I've been through some things.

Addiction took everything from me.

And recovery has given it all back, plus more.

For Kentucky Addiction, I'm Casey Parker, Belle.

We'll have much more about disrupting addiction.

That's coming up in about 75 minutes.

You'll hear from drug recovery advocates, those in recovery providers and policymakers about how Kentucky is battling the opioid epidemic.

That and more on disrupting addiction to form tonight at eight Eastern, seven Central right here on KCET.