WILMINGTON, N.C.– The “War on Drugs” has lasted more than 40 years and has yet to be won. Now, Wilmington is listed as one of the top areas in the country for opioid abuse and heroin deaths are up 400 percent in North Carolina.
A new concept called LEAD, Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, is being adopted by cities around the country, including Fayetteville, which will have the first program in North Carolina.
Instead of perpetuating the cycle of “frequent fliers” at the jail, LEAD redirects certain low-level drug offenders and sex workers into social programs instead of an arrest.
