FORMER METH ADDICT SPEAK AT SUMMIT

For one young woman the simple word "yes" would change her life
forever. Growing up in Sun Valley Idaho, Amber Nelson went through
the D.A.R.E. program. She was told that drugs were bad for her, and
to say no to them if she was offered any. However, Nelson had a
question: "Why are drugs bad to use?" She didn't understand why or
how they could harm her.

So, she decided that she would say yes to them instead. She did not
know that this simple word, "yes," would send her down a path that
would lead to methamphetamine addiction and life on the streets.
Nelson's story was told at the Second Annual Meth Summit, which took
place in Yuma on Saturday at Martin Luther King, Jr. Center. Here
the public was educated and informed about meth, how to fight it,
and how to get help.

Former meth addicts gave testimonials about their days as meth users
and how they overcame their addictions. Nelson explained that seven
years ago she came to live in Yuma and started attending Kofa High
School. During this time, she felt alone and didn't know how to make
friends. "Then I found meth and I fell in love" she said.

Nelson was only 16 when she first used meth, and she felt she could
do anything. Two weeks later she dropped out of high school and
started stealing from her mom to pay for the drugs, she recounted.
As a result, her mom kicked her out and she lived on the streets.
She eventually began to sell her body for money. Yet Nelson was
saved from this life when her mom caught her taking clothes from
their apartment. Her mother called the police and she was sent to a
nine-month program of Juvenile Drug Court. Today, Nelson has been
sober for three years, and speaks about her experience throughout
Yuma. "I want to dedicate my life to recovery. I don't want anyone
to go through the suffering I went through," she said.

Nelson also wants people who are thinking of trying meth to know
that "it is not all fun. It's an aggressive disease that will end
you up in one of three places: jail, institutions, or death. Don't try it."

Also speaking at the summit was retired Yuma Police Officer Greg
Fell, who explained the dangers of meth addiction. As a former
detective, D.A.R.E. officer, and school resource officer, Fell spent
twenty-eight years patrolling the Yuma streets. He has seen the
effects of meth, and he had this warning: "Don't ever try
it. People use it and it makes them feel good. It's like the zipper
ride at the Yuma fair. They keep wanting to go on the ride. They
think they are not hurting anyone."

Nonetheless, the speakers said there is hope for meth addicts. They
recommend asking for help from family members who care about them.
Help can also be found at drug treatment programs in the Yuma area.
For more information go to arizonamethproject.org and Narcotics
Anonymous at (928) 783-5999.