Observer editorial: The small-town war on drugs

It doesn’t happen here, right?

The rise of drugs in rural America is one of the most pressing issues facing small towns today, especially with the alarming increase in the use of methamphetamine.

In 1998, rural areas in the United States reported 949 meth labs. Five years later, that number had increased to 9,385.

Meth used to be considered a “party state” problem. California, for the large part, was believed to be the host to the majority of meth users.

This is not the case anymore.

In 2009, Nebraska, as a whole, saw 32 meth lab busts.

Now, this number pales in comparison to Nebrask...