ESCANABA, MI-- Delta County’s drug problem is growing, and officials are holding a forum to discuss the issue.
The Tuesday event is sponsored by the Delta County Task Force Against Substance Abuse, a group of community leaders that has two goals: to make the public aware of the problem and offer treatment action plans to those who seek it.
Prosecutor Phil Strom says the region has seen an increase in the use of meth, buprenorphine, and heroin. He says in 2016 the county will offer different initiatives that address substance abuse beyond enforcement of the law.
They include the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative, where an addict can walk into a police department and request help; the creation of a drug court in Delta County; and a pre-sentence treatment initiative that puts people charged with a drug crime into a treatment program instead of jail.
The forum takes place Tuesday, December 1 at 7 p.m. at the Bay College Besse Auditorium.
For more information, go to fightingdrugabuse.org.