Drug crimes — especially those involving opiates — are a bleak but concerning matter in Pennsylvania. The state is not exempt from the opioid crisis currently at stake across the country, and recent news shows that officials in the area are cracking down on the issue now more than ever before. While the drug problem is one the nation hopes to see come to an end sooner than later, Pennsylvania law enforcement say they are here to stay until the epidemic’s bitter end.
Last month, Public Opinion commented on yet another methamphetamine and opioid bust in Pennsylvania, in which officials arrested over 30 people on drug charges. Agents reported that this was the fifth major drug operation of the year, and that they expect to bust many more in the future. These arrests are not happening in densely populated areas, either; the Opinion revealed that most cases have taken place in rural parts of the state. Furthermore, the Attorney General has arrested roughly three people a day in the last eight months for drug charges.
Pennsylvania appears to be one of those unyielding states wherein countless opioid drug arrests occur. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette stated in a piece that western parts of the state have been hit with the epidemic significantly, and that the following counties ranked the highest for prescription drug use:
- Elk
- Venango
- Crawford
- Fayette
- Blair
Health officials fear that, even with reductions in prescription strengths over recent years, prescription dosages are nevertheless too high. When it comes to stricken areas in Western Pennsylvania, fentanyl has the biggest hand in overdoses. As a result, experts are beginning to reach deeper into the issue to discover why and how so many Americans are suffering from addiction and overdoses.