Dozens arrested in drug roundup in Tazewell County - WVVA TV Bluefield Beckley WV News, Weather and Sports

BLUEFIELD Va. (WVVA) - Dozens of people have been arrested as the result of a drug roundup in Tazewell County.

The arrests were announced at a news conference at the Bluefield, Va., Town Hall Monday afternoon.

A total of 29 individuals have been arrested on 31 of 45 drug-related indictments returned by the Tazewell County Grand Jury in January.

View the list of charges + mugshots of those arrested

The arrested individuals face 78 counts, mostly drug distribution charges. The drugs in question range from heroin to methamphetamine to hydromorphone, Commonwealth Attorney Dennis Lee said.

Lee said the emergence of heroin distribution has been new to the county over the past year.

In the last year, the Tazewell County Narcotics Task Force has issued 160 drug-related indictments.

During the press conference, Lee discussed statistics that show drug abuse kills more Americans each year than car accidents or homicides.

According to the Center for Disease Control, half of drug overdoses are the result of prescription pain pills.

In response to the alarming statistics, Lee is calling for reform of the medical industry.

"We can arrest our way from now until the end of time and we are not going to stop this until we get to the root of the problem and reform our medical industry," Lee said.