The Queen City has a royal problem.
The trains have slowed, the plants have closed and what's left behind is a group to save the city-- which includes members like Lt. Lepley of the Cumberland Police Department.
"It's worse that you can imagine," Lepley said.
ABC2 News digs deeper into the heroin crisis gripping our region at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 22.
Lepley is talking about heroin. In Baltimore you can buy a gram of heroin for $80-$90, but in Cumberland it's $160 for a gram.
They call it "money in the mountains."
Lepley explained the drugs come to Western Maryland from Baltimore, Philly, Pittsburgh and DC. And the heroin is strong. The area recently had a death from what's called krokodil. It's heroin mixed with gas and paint thinner that literally burns the flesh off the body.
Officials are taking action. They are tracking every prescription written in town and every emergency room visit.
Hundreds of people turned out to learn how to use Narcan, which can help save the life of someone who is overdosing.
Among those to get that training: Every school nurse.