Can you hear the cannon fire and the bombs dropping all around you? Do you see the sniper hiding in the shadows of the park? Or maybe you step into your yard onto a land mine. You have to believe I am telling you of a war where guns and shells drop all around you, and death and devastation can easily be seen.

If the problem were only that easy to see in our community, and county. But the war I am writing about is one that sneaks around in the shadows, alleyways and dark areas of the places we pass by each day in the sunlight. In our untrained views, or just our indifference, the hidden war of drugs enters our town and county most every day.

Two people talking, once hands the other a small package. You have just witnessed a crime. A crime so heinous that what passed between two individuals could result in the death of someone you know.

Cocaine, and MDMA are available in our community and can be found with little problems if you know where to look. Crack abuse generally remains confined to low and low-middle income individuals. But due to its low cost, new and young kids find it to be affordable.

Why are the young so susceptible to street drugs? Growing up is a challenging time for kids. Wanting to fit in, boredom, wanting to be adventuresome. And just plain curiosity. Back in my day the big adventure was smoking a cigarette and putting aspirins in coke to get high. It did not work, but some kids said it did. You may have ventured into dangerous areas when you were young, just to see what would happen. You figured it won’t hurt me; I can stop anytime I want. Do you know how many kids have told themselves those very words?

West Virginia had 1,500 overdose deaths in 2021, ranking us number one. In a recent 12-month period, we recorded 2,200 deaths. This time we rank 10th in deaths nationally. More deaths, but lower ranking, is that an improvement? Emergency room visits: Over 10,000 visits. Hospital admissions: Approximately 5,000 admissions were related to drug issues. Substance use disorder: Around 8% of West Virginians struggle with this disorder. Treatment facilities: Despite having about 150 treatment centers, many are at full capacity.

How do we deal with the problem of those addicted? The courts struggle with the load of cases that come before them. An estimated 85-90% of the probation cases in Wetzel County are drug related. And for the most part those cases are individuals who sell and transport drugs.

Wetzel County Prosecutor, Tim Haught and the members of his office have tons of paper files dealing with drug related issues. Repeat offenders can be arrested and re-arrested, convicted several times, then put on probation. Once they complete their time, they often return to the same dark place dealing in drugs. Success rates, 20% at best.

Still the silent war on drugs goes on every day. In a headline not long ago, it was announced that two pounds of meth were discovered in an arrest in New Martinsville. That much moves the case to the federal level. Two pounds when cut can be near 1000-gram doses on the street. The more you use, the more it takes to get high.

The drugs were discovered in the apartment of Jamie Ann Tanner, 44. She pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more and was sentenced to 151 months in prison. She was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of WV.

In another Wetzel County case Kyle Thomas Bryan, 33 was sentenced to 120 months in prison. He was arrested by the Marshal County Drug Task Force. He was arrested as he arrived at residence in Wetzel County. He was convicted of possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of Methamphetamine.

Between these two arrests and drug seizure, lives have been saved. The arrest stopped the drugs on that day, but in a short time another supply will be for sale. Arrest and seizure are making a difference. But you have to ask yourself, who is buying these drugs? Is the market for cheap drugs so great it is entering our county by the pound? How many users were prosecuted for each dealer?

The use of drugs in society has been around for centuries. We want to believe that drug users are the bottom of society’s barrel. But drugs have made their way into all walks of life and levels of society.

Can it be stopped, not at the present time, but it can be controlled, The Marshall County Task force is on the street everyday finding new dealers and suppliers. Our county sheriff’s department is supporting the task force and working cases on their own. The police forces in communities within our county do all they can to solve the street problems. Federal Prosecutors are dealing with the big suppliers, and making sure the guidelines are enforced for longer sentences. The county prosecutor, and his team deal with dozens of cases that pass through the court system.

And there is one more agency that can be of some help, the Wetzel County Commission. Twice they have received hundreds of thousands of dollars from settlement cases. How has that money been used so far? Not for helping local agencies with treatment programs. Currently Northwood Health Systems and New Beginnings are working with referrals and walk-ins to begin the process of getting them off drugs. Let’s hope the money given to the county will soon be distributed for programs that are on the front lines of recovery to help the hundreds of citizens looking for recovery as they look through the Lens.