GRAY — Responding to “sobering and scary” stories and data regarding the illegal drug problem in Gray and New Gloucester, community leaders, educators, law enforcement officials and others will hold a workshop next week to talk to the public and develop response strategies.

Among the data: The highest number of drug overdose calls received by the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office in 2015 came from Gray, according to the department. The department patrols 14 towns in the county that do not have police departments.

“It is sobering and scary to hear of drug use in our community,” Gray Council Chairman Matthew Sturgis said last month. “This is something not to sit back on. It’s been going on far too long. We need to take a more direct approach with zero tolerance.”

The community workshop is slated for 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, at the Henry Pennell Municipal Complex on Route 100 in Gray. One goal of the meeting is to develop strategies that will help area agencies respond to the problem, including educating the public.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, it responded to 30 overdose calls in 2014, four of which were from Gray. No deaths occurred.

From January to Nov. 16, 2015, there were 38 overdose calls, eight of which were in Gray. Seven deaths were reported.

No overdose call numbers were available for New Gloucester.

Gray Rescue Department Deputy Chief Mike Barter said Tuesday, “We are strapped for personnel, and this takes a lot of resources to provide for (each drug) call. We feel frustrated.”

Barter said Gray Rescue experienced a 380 percent increase in drug calls between 2013 and 2015, with calls going from 5 in 2013, to 20 in 2014, to 24 in 2015. 

Cumberland County Deputy Sheriff Cole Chandler said a major factor in the drug problem is that Gray and New Gloucester are at the crossroads of three major routes. The Maine Turnpike corridor allows easy transportation of drugs north from out of state, with Route 100 toward Lewiston-Auburn and Route 26 toward Oxford County allowing further transportation of drugs to those two population centers.

Police officials said incidents of human trafficking, domestic violence and burglary are also related to the drug problem in the towns.

Representatives of the Maine State Police, area rescue departments, health programs, state government and substance abuse programs are also expected to attend the workshop.