Governor seeks input from NWI officials on tackling drug abuse - nwitimes.com
Mike Pence met with Northwest Indiana officials Wednesday to get their recommendations for the drug task force he formed this week. "If you're dealing drugs to our kids, we're coming for you," Pence said at the Lake County Government Center in Crown Point, where he was joined by state and local law enforcement, public health and social services officials. "But if you're caught up in the web of addiction, my strong and passionate belief is that the state of Indiana owes it to ourselves, to our future and to our families to make sure Hoosiers know the treatment options that are available. Indiana saw a tenfold increase in the number of deaths from heroin overdoses from 2005 to 2013 and ranks 16th in the U. S. for drug overdoses, according to state and federal health agencies. In calling for a more comprehensive approach to fighting the drug war, Pence joins a chorus of public officials nationwide who are calling for a diversion of resources from jailing to treating drug addicts. Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said law enforcement officials have traditionally been told to simply lock up drug offenders when that may be causing more harm than good. "If you're out there profiting from sending out this poison, you should go to jail," he said. Source: www.nwitimes.com
