In Kearney, law enforcement officers have been working to wipe out drugs in the area. The Kearney Police Department is constantly working to get the drugs off streets.

However, as is often the problem in situations like these, as long as someone's buying, someone else will be selling.

Every year, hundreds of millions of dollars are spent in the war on drugs. In Kearney, police officers are doing their best to face the problem head on.

"The most prevalent drug we see is marijuana," said Investigator Gabe Kowalek with the Kearney Police Department.

"It's the most common thing law enforcement comes across. Meth is also abused in Kearney, and we've seen an increase in cocaine use."

Wherever drug use exists, there are bound to be more problems.

"A lot of times you have other activities that are affected by drugs such as burglaries, thefts, violent crimes, and the abuse of children."

Officials say Kearney is not unlike any other town in America, saying drugs have been a
problem. However, there's no hard evidence saying whether or not drug use in Kearney is on the rise."

"I cannot tell you if there's been an increase," said Dr. Hugo Gonzalez, the Medical Director of Richard Young Hospital in Kearney. "Certainly I can tell you the problem is serious. The problem needs attention."

According to Dr. Gonzalez, most people start using drugs as teenagers. The result is often the same.

"If they continue to sell drugs in the community, it's only a matter of time before they are
arrested for what they've been doing," said Kowalek. "What we do is hold people accountable for their actions."

Officials say in many cases, drug dealers are involved in more serious, and in some instances, more violent crimes.

"When we buy drugs, we also are promoting violence somewhere else. Maybe we're inviting
violence into our own community. That's something we need to think about before we start."

Experts say the sooner you can admit the problem, the sooner you can recover. If you or someone you know has a drug problem, contact Richard Young Hospital for help on how to start dealing with the addiction.