Local law enforcement is fighting an uphill battle against substance abuse.

An accident in DeWitt last weekend, which saw a woman killed by a drunk driver, may have been the tipping point for DeWitt County Sheriff Jered Shofner, who recently voiced his frustration with the problems of substance abuse he deals with on a near daily basis. The Sheriff says while there are a lot of free programs throughout the County to help people with their issues, they've added a drug court which aims to hopefully directly address those individuals issues.

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For Sheriff Shofner, the battle against substance abuse is never won. He explains his department must continue to strictly patrol the Counties roads, but in the end, he says they count their victories one person helped at a time.

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The drug court system DeWitt County has in place has been effective and Sheriff Shofner says they have seen people who have had their lives turned around because of the program in place and the help they receive. He hopes it is the success stories that will keep the problem from effecting the next generation.

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The school system has programs geared towards teaching children substance abuse is not OK, and the Sheriff says many times those programs and morals are negated because of the home environment some children go home to. He says these problems must be dealt with by friends and family to get these people help.