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MENOMINEE COUNTY -- The drug problem in Menominee County has dramatically risen in the last year. Police say heroin is the drug of choice for many users.

A sheriff's department official says heroin is abused in the county more often than even narcotic pain pills or marijuana.

“Each of these foil-wrapped packets contains one-tenth of a gram of heroin,” says Detective/Lieutenant, Greg Nast.

It's known on the street as a "city pack," and just one of them will sell for $50.

“That's a lot of money and there's a lot of profit to be made in that, and that's why it's happening," Nast said.

Officials say most of the activity for heroin is happening in the cities of Menominee and Marinette. Narcotic pain pills and marijuana are still being abused as well.

On Monday, 255 marijuana plants were seized by deputies in Harris Township.

“I guess, not surprising with the medical marijuana laws that are passed in Michigan, we are seeing an uprise in the illegal sale of marijuana. The quality of the marijuana has increased dramatically," said Corporal Brian Helfert, a school resource officer and a juvenile crime investigator. He regularly educates students on substance abuse prevention.

“If the message can be up there at a younger age to not start these things at the beginning, the community might start coming back to being a lot more positive like it was a few years back," Helfert says.

The sheriff department recently got more help in cracking down on the growing drug problem. Avery is a 15-month-old black lab, and he's the newest K-9 narcotics dog at the Menominee County Sheriff Department. He's still bonding with his trainer, Tina Nast, but he is going to officially start training at the end of this month. He'll reside and work in the city of Menominee but will be called to other areas of the county as needed.