Local use of drugs rising

Drug use is a multifaceted problem for the Bloomington Police Department, said Capt. Joe Qualters. \nAlthough the University's problems are about the same as any large university, Qualters attributes some drug problems in Bloomington to it being a university town. The BPD categorizes some drugs as being a part of "college drug culture," Detective Wendy Pritchard-Kelly of BPD Narcotics said. "Alcohol and marijuana are by far the most common drugs used in college environments in so far as use and abuse," said Tom Cox, executive director of Amethyst House. \nCollege communities face various drug problems for many reasons. The liberal environment of college lends itself to experimentation, Cox said. \nBloomington has experienced an increase in crack and powder cocaine, Qualters said. Police have found that the violence associated with crack has brought its use to the forefront of the drug issue. \nHeroin use is also increasing, Qualters said. Police are finding that most problems related to this drug are caused by people taking the drug who do not understand or are not accustomed to its potency. \nA recent local investigation into methamphetamine has brought this drug into the spotlight. The police have recently made 11 arrests concerning a methamphetamine drug ring. \nMost of the drugs in Bloomington come from outside the city, Pritchard-Kelly said. Marijuana and methamphetamine are being transported from South Bend. A large influx of crack cocaine is coming from Detroit and a large supply of heroin is coming from Indianapolis, Qualters said. \nBloomington has been combatting these problems for years.\n"There is a pretty comprehensive structure in place" Craig Brenner, special projects coordinator for Community and Family Services for Bloomington, said. \nTo combat illicit drug use, the BPD has increased the number of officers working in the narcotics division. The police have also begun Neighborhood Watch groups in the Bloomington community. \nThe Monroe County Community Schools Corporation, in a cooperative effort with the BPD, has begun the LifeSkills training program which focuses on the social and psychological factors that promote drug abuse, according to the MCCSC Web site. \nMonroe County CARES provides funding for local law enforcement, prevention and education programs and treatment facilities. \n"We need to treat drug abuse as a health care issue and not in terms of strategies, like 'just say no,' that don't work," Brenner said.