Comment on Penobscot County is ground zero in Maine’s war on drugs

Penobscot County is home to the highest percentage of Maine’s drug trafficking cases this year, a figure that has nearly doubled over the past two years, according to data from the state’s court system. It’s another sign of how the state’s deadly drug problem continues to take a disproportionate toll on Penobscot County, which has also seen overdose deaths rise more quickly during the COVID-19 pandemic than elsewhere in Maine. The county’s share of drug trafficking cases this year is nearly double its share of Maine’s population. While Penobscot County’s disproportionate share of overdose deaths and problems with addiction aren’t new, there’s no apparent explanation for why the county has seen such a pronounced rise in illegal drug activity, according to prosecutors and law enforcement officials. But one thing they are sure about is the amount of drugs and money being seized is higher than it ever has been, with out-of-state dealers coming into the state as major players in drug distribution networks. So far this year, 22 percent of the drug trafficking and aggravated drug trafficking cases in Maine have been filed at the Penobscot Judicial Center in Bangor, according to the judiciary.