U.S. Sets Record for Overdose Deaths During Pandemic On 3/5/21 at 12:39 PM EST From the time Kat entered high school, addiction presented a challenge to her. Alcohol and marijuana were common fixtures in her lower-class Maryland community, and being an academically gifted student, Kat could use without paying the price. Her struggles caught up to her by the time she entered community college. Before Kat's 21st birthday, she was pulled over by the police and issued a DUI. She thinks the judge wanted to "scare her straight," because even though it was her first offense, Kat was sent to jail.