Singer James Taylor speaks about drug addiction

The -- drug courts celebrated its tenth year with a special speaker graduation today. As news channel is Mark Douglas reports five time Grammy Award Grammy Award winning. Artists James Taylor shared his own struggles with addiction with a drug court grants and offered some encouragement to an audience that can surely -- some.

The -- criminal justice and may be the last place you'd expect to see a graduation. But for the tenth year in a row that's what's going on here today in a drug court program the prizes patience over punishment. After a short serenade singer composer James Taylor told 100 drug court graduates and dozens of dignitaries. About his own lifelong struggle with addiction. He shared his story with honesty and humor.

It's interesting that that charts are now mentioned that lyrics the secret life isn't going capacity time. Taiwan things.

Taylor told the grads -- after eighteen years of using heroin and other drugs. He's been recovering for thirty and how they can do the same.

I do believe that the only. The only game in town. Is twelve step recovery the singer warned the drug court grabs about the consequences of backsliding and an extra. Could be an overdose they could be back into the criminal justice system. It could be we can't afford to take that chance he can experiment. Get to the point Susie cancer trending to the fact that you have this disease and get on.

The first diploma of his graduating class went to someone Taylor knows well she's the reason he came here during her concert tour brave to share his story. She was one of his backup singers a woman and recovery. Who shared James Taylor's problems as Willis is music. As -- judged in a foreign -- pointed out time and again these drug court graduates have plenty of reasons for pride. But as James Taylor says they also have challenges just like him that will last a lifetime. And Pinellas County I'm Mark Douglas news channel it.