When most people think of drug issues, they think urban. But rural America also has a drug problem – one that is growing rapidly. The opioid addiction problem is most acute in small towns and rural communities and is having a devastating social and economic impact on those communities.

This is not a new problem, but one that is finally getting some attention. Furthermore, it is being recognized as an agricultural problem, not just a social problem.

A recent symposium brought together rural and agricultural leaders to discuss solutions and to share resources. Jim McClelland, with the Indiana Drug Prevention, Treatment and Enforcement division, said this drug issue got started in rural America in places like southern Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and the Carolinas.

Low income, low education, and lack of treatment facilities not only helped exacerbate the problem but also make it harder to eliminate.

Agriculture and agribusinesses are already facing a labor shortage. More and more adults in rural areas are not able to pass a drug test or even show up for work at critical times because of a drug addiction, making this a real and serious issue.

Dan Krouse, with Midwest Poultry Services, told me he has lost thousands of dollars after investing in critical employees only to lose them to drug addiction.

President Trump called this a national health emergency last summer. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has made it one of his key pillars in his agenda for Indiana.

State and federal resources are being made available; but in the end, it is communities that need to come together to deal with the issue.

The main message at the symposium was: There is no one answer and no one group or agency that can solve the issue. Those communities that are having success in dealing with the opioid crisis are those who brought a wide variety of groups together to work on the problem.

Rural America is famous for its practical, hands-on, can-do attitude. That spirit needs to be present in all our rural areas when it comes to dealing with the opioid epidemic.

As McClelland told me, in much of rural America it is easier to get high than it is to get help. That needs to change if we want to maintain our strong agricultural economy and our vibrant rural communities.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Gary Truitt may write to him in care of this publication.