By Hasti Taghi
IDAHO FALLS - "I want to educate the community of the destruction of methamphetamine," says former addict Tesja Erickson.
"Someone handed me this glass pipe and said you need to try this. This stuff's great. Well, I'll try it just this once. And I did and I was hooked. I went from smoking it to snorting it, to using a needle. My experience with methamphetamine was a six year struggle with this destructive drug and it destroyed every aspect of my life," says Erickson.
Now picking up the pieces of her shattered past, Erickson tells me without hesitation what she calls a day of rebirth.
"And now you're clean?"
"For three years. September 25th," says Erickson.
Erickson shares the story of her battle with methamphetamine and will be joined by other community leaders. It's part of a forum held here at the colonial theater in downtown Idaho Falls. It is intended for teens and their parents..and meant to bring light to a problem that many are blind to.
"No family is immune. No city is immune," says Mayor Jared Fuhriman.
"I made most of my sales when I was selling in Stonebrook and up on the hill. Rich kids would pay for it. They'll pay good money for it," says Erickson.
"Do you think the police department is doing enough to catch these people?"
"I think that we need as a community to help the police department. I think the drug culture in Idaho Falls is ignored," says Erickson.
And the problem goes beyond the individual drug users. It's an issue that affects our community.
"Sometimes our communities become complacent. Not in my house and not in my backyard. And in reality, it really is," says Mayor Fuhriman.
"It's unfortunate but I'm proud that our community is stepping up and we're trying to bring the awareness and education into the community," says Fuhriman.
Mayor Fuhriman wants everyone to see the eye-opening stories and find a new understanding for what is in fact a problem in our community.
The forum is sponsored by Mountain View Hospital and EIRMC.
The event is Tuesday night, 6:30 at the Colonial Theater in Downtown Idaho Falls.
Anyone age 10 and up is invited to join.
"Someone handed me this glass pipe and said you need to try this. This stuff's great. Well, I'll try it just this once. And I did and I was hooked. I went from smoking it to snorting it, to using a needle. My experience with methamphetamine was a six year struggle with this destructive drug and it destroyed every aspect of my life," says Erickson.
Now picking up the pieces of her shattered past, Erickson tells me without hesitation what she calls a day of rebirth.
"And now you're clean?"
"For three years. September 25th," says Erickson.
Erickson shares the story of her battle with methamphetamine and will be joined by other community leaders. It's part of a forum held here at the colonial theater in downtown Idaho Falls. It is intended for teens and their parents..and meant to bring light to a problem that many are blind to.
"No family is immune. No city is immune," says Mayor Jared Fuhriman.
"I made most of my sales when I was selling in Stonebrook and up on the hill. Rich kids would pay for it. They'll pay good money for it," says Erickson.
"Do you think the police department is doing enough to catch these people?"
"I think that we need as a community to help the police department. I think the drug culture in Idaho Falls is ignored," says Erickson.
And the problem goes beyond the individual drug users. It's an issue that affects our community.
"Sometimes our communities become complacent. Not in my house and not in my backyard. And in reality, it really is," says Mayor Fuhriman.
"It's unfortunate but I'm proud that our community is stepping up and we're trying to bring the awareness and education into the community," says Fuhriman.
Mayor Fuhriman wants everyone to see the eye-opening stories and find a new understanding for what is in fact a problem in our community.
The forum is sponsored by Mountain View Hospital and EIRMC.
The event is Tuesday night, 6:30 at the Colonial Theater in Downtown Idaho Falls.
Anyone age 10 and up is invited to join.
