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"Law enforcement, health workers and government officials met Friday to try to find solutions to the drug abuse problem in New Hampshire.Click to watch News 9's coverage.Officials said that New Hampshire has some of the highest per capita rates of addiction in the country. Those close to the issue said there needs to be a balance struck between arresting the dealers and providing resources for those who have become addicted.\"Our last three bank robberies were heroin-related,\" said Portsmouth Police Deputy Chief Corey MacDonald. \"Our last mugging was heroin-related.\"Officials said heroin has become a widespread problem across the state.\"A lot of the young kids have been getting addicted to OxyContin and prescription drugs,\" said Salem Police Lt. Kevin Fitzgerald. \"The problem is that the pills tend to be too expensive, and heroin is more available and cheaper.\"At the Salem Police Department, law enforcement, nurses, child service officials and the attorney general met with U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., to talk about the growing problem.\"It's got to be a multipronged approach -- treatment, law enforcement, education and trying to figure out what works through the courts,\" Shaheen said.In Dover, a prescription drug summit was held to try to educate and find solutions.\"The bottom line is what we lack as a state is to really provide adequate services, early intervention services for those showing signs of risky behavior, and then the treatment they need when they do get into trouble,\" said Tym Rourke, chairman of the Governor's Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.Parent Lynn Fuller was on a panel to talk about the effects of drug abuse. Her two sons were addicted to drugs from a young age.\"You go to work and struggle with it,\" she said. \"They wake up and struggle. We all struggle every single day.\"Those in attendance said the state has a long road ahead of it, but with honest discussions underway, they are optimistic about the future.Gov. Maggie Hassan said she has made addressing the drug problem a top priority. She recently signed the Health Care Protection Act, which will provide coverage for substance abuse to thousands of Granite Staters."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.wmur.com/article/health-government-officials-seek-solutions-on-drug-addiction/5189356>