SPRINGVILLE, Utah — On the Springville Police Department’s Instagram account, there’s a new post titled “Addict of the Month.” Officers said they see it as a positive step to create dialogue about a serious problem in the community by highlighting someone who lives here and has struggled with addiction.
Springville PD officers hope the posts will encourage dialogue about addiction. (Springville PD/Instagram)
Kimberly Moreland will gladly tell you how she started meth at age 19, just to fit in at a party. For the next five years, she lived the life of a drug addict.
“Six years I’ve been clean, since April 23rd of 2003,” she said. “It’s all thanks to my mother. She had the tough decision, the tough call to make. She saved my life, literally. If she hadn’t had me drug tested at home and had me — I did, I spent a night in jail and it changed my life.”
Springville Police Chief Craig Martinez said officers see the after-effects of drug abuse every day and came up with an idea to share the story of an addict on Instagram, to help inspire people to get help.
“It affects us all. I mean there’s probably not a single person out there that has not been affected in some way, shape or form by drugs or drug addiction, whether it’s family members or themselves,” he said.
Police believe the “Addict of the Month” will open a critical community discussion about drug abuse and so does Moreland, who said even after 16 years of being clean, she’s still an addict herself.
“If you’ve never done it, don’t do it. But everything — smoking, vaping, drugs, anything bad — if you’ve never done it, don’t do it, don’t start now,” she said.
A new “Addict of the Month” will be posted again on the department’s account in a few weeks. Martinez said several people are eager to share their own stories with hopes it will help others.
“They’re the only ones that truly know why they got addicted, how they got addicted, it’s their story,” Martinez said.
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