Wheeling Island residents learned Tuesday that prescription drugs and heroin are becoming the drugs of choice in the Ohio Valley.
During a regular Wheeling Island neighborhood watch meeting, residents talked about an Island resident trying to sell prescription Vicodin on the street. Wheeling police Sgt. Bill Nolan took notes on the tip. He said he has talked with Ohio Valley Drug Task Force members and learned prescription pain killer and heroin use appears to be on the rise locally.
"There's not a lot of it. ... It's the cheapest high right now," Nolan said, noting both drugs have a "high profit margin."
Nolan said the police department recently stopped taking reports on prescription pill thefts because people were making false reports. He added that periodically there will be a legitimate claim, but most are not.
"There's certain point in time where you say 'enough is enough,'" Nolan said.
The people making false reports needed a police report to show their doctor and insurance company in order to get a refill, he said.
Meanwhile, Nolan told residents when they report any suspicious activity, related to drugs or other crimes, they should write down vehicle license plate numbers, color of the vehicles in question, number of people in the vehicles and the direction of travel.