Tunkhannock Rotary had the honor of hearing from Wyoming County Chief Detective David Ide on the Drug Issues in the County. In Wyoming County, heroin is a major problem as are prescription drugs and meth. Most local drug pushers appear to be coming from Luzerne County, particularly the Wilkes-Barre area.
Detective Ide commented that one area that does not get enough credit in our County is the drug court, which does a great job helping people who have been convicted of drug offenses, who really want to change and get their lives back on track.
He also pointed out that although there is much emphasis today on the drug abuse epidemic that a subject that is never really addressed is the mental health problem that is the underlying issue that leads to the drug problem (low self-esteem, bullying & other issues). He estimated that of the people in jail, at least 50-60% may have mental health issues that have not been addressed, especially those who have abused drugs.
.jpg)
Chief Detective David Ide