Harford’s newest drug epidemic also a national problem

Abuse of painkillers, other prescription drugs on the rise, police say.

Prescription drugs have become the drug of choice to abuse in Harford County, over both cocaine and heroin, police and others who work in the drug abuse field say. The abuse is at epidemic levels in Harford County and police say the illegal sale of prescriptions brings its own set of challenges for the community and law enforcement.

The investigation and last week’s arrests of more than a dozen people police believe were illegally selling prescription medications, brought Harford County’s problem with prescription drug sales and addiction into focus. Police say the prescription drug abuse and trade has been growing over the past few years, but by how much has caught them by surprise.

The story is the same nationally, where abuse of pain killers and other prescription medications has risen to epidemic proportions in scores of small towns and counties, particularly among younger people in the teens, 20s and 30s.

“This is much more of a problem than even law enforcement realized,” Harford County Sheriff Jesse Bane said Thursday.

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