After nearly 20 years of active addiction, Melissa MacMillan found hope in the unlikeliest places: jail.

Now more than four years sober, she is sharing her story through social media, podcasts and as a guest speaker at a presentation next week hosted by the organization Angels of Hope Against Human Trafficking . Because MacMillan is also a survivor of sexual exploitation. Her story highlights how the drug trade and human trafficking are often intertwined, with addiction used as both a trap and a tool of control in exploitation.

In 2011, she was lured into sex work by an elementary school friend who, like MacMillan at the time, was looking to support her dependency. Despite having children and repeated attempts to stay clean for them, the hold of addiction proved stronger.

The phone wo

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