MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - Next week, Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, police and local officials will gather at the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office for a drug prevention summit, in an effort to lower the number of drug overdoses in the area.
"Well we have a real problem in West Virginia and in the eastern panhandle most especially, with the rise in heroin overdoses drug-related poisonings," said Capito.
According to the Eastern Panhandle Drug and Violence Crime Task Force, from 2013 to 2014, overdose deaths were up approximately 50 percent.
"We are still seeing overdoses and it seems to be an issue in this part of the state," said Sheriff Kenny Lemaster of the Berkeley County Sheriff's Department.
Last year, Berkeley County was designated as a high drug trafficking area and received additional federal resources. The sheriff said more can be done.
"Maybe legislation to change the sentencing guidelines for heroin, that would help maybe a little bit," Lemaster said.
Capito saif combating this issue will take the support from law enforcement, government and health officials, as well as the community. This summit is a possible way to create more solutions.
"I want to solve this problem, but it is a multi-faceted problem, and we thought a good place to start would be in Martinsburg," Capito said.
The summit is open to the public. Police said they hope this event will bring awareness to the issue and possibly more funding from the federal government.
The drug prevention summit is April 27, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office.