Cocaine, meth on rise in Pennsylvania's early warning areas

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania appears to be reflecting national trends in drug abuse, as methamphetamine and cocaine rise while prescription drug and heroin deaths level off in some areas.

Top official Jennifer Smith told a state Senate committee Monday that Pennsylvania is seeing higher cocaine and methamphetamine use in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and the Johnstown area.

She says those areas are usually the first three to show new trends across Pennsylvania. Smith says the opioid crisis, meanwhile, might be starting to wane in some parts of the state.

Federal officials are seeing similar trends.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency is concerned that methamphetamine and cocaine use are being seen at much higher levels in areas that haven't historically been hotspots for those drugs.