Drug Enforcement Task Force Operating In Potter County

District Attorney Andy Watson has been working with a core group of local law enforcement officers and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office in the operation of the Potter County Drug Enforcement Task Force. State funds are covering the basic expenses. The task force’s work complements ongoing drug investigations.

Officials are especially concerned about the drug abuse problem among the county’s youth and young adults. Studies show that there is a growing epidemic of prescription drug trafficking, as well as abuse of other controlled substances.

Law enforcement is just one aspect of the county’s response to the drug problem. Potter County Human Services (PCHS) has been working with local school districts in support of programs geared toward early intervention to help students who show signs of drug abuse. Additionally, PCHS is working with other county agencies and Dickinson Mental Health Center on programs to help prepare Potter County Jail inmates who have been diagnosed as addicts to prepare for re-entry into society.

Specialists are concerned about new trends in the abuse of alcohol and other drugs, as well as limitations in treatment options for those with addiction issues. The PCHS Drug and Alcohol Program’s 2009-10 annual report reveals that alcohol abuse accounts for about 55 percent of referrals, followed by marijuana/hashish at 23 percent. One area of concern is the growing use of cocaine/crack, from just over 1 percent of referrals to more than 8 percent over the period of one year.

Copies of the report are available for review at Potter County Human Services in Roulette or the Potter County Commissioners office in the Gunzburger Building.