Drug trafficking in Marion County has become the strong focus of federal and state law enforcement agencies. Recently, the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team busted an elaborate, Ocala-based drug operation that distributed marijuana and cocaine throughout the region. While targeted efforts to apprehend drug peddlers helps to curtail distribution, drug addiction in Ocala Florida continues to wreak havoc on those suffering from the throes of addiction.
According to the U.S. Drug Task Force, Marion County is considered to be one of North Florida’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA). With Florida’s drug-related deaths ranking above the national average, as well as the state’s tendency to be a pit stop for drug transports and trafficking operations, heightened efforts to extinguish drug dealing is just one method to prevent illegal substances from finding ways into the Ocala community. However, for addicts determined to get high, stopping dealers will not stop addiction. Treatment, however, can provide that person with a real chance to overcome the crippling disease.
Drug abuse affects approximately 3.5 percent of Florida residents, based on reports from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Anyone grappling with drug addiction in Ocala Florida, or anywhere in Marion County, getting better starts with getting help. It may be challenging, but the reward of being alive is worth it.