Community leaders from throughout the area gathered in Pella Thursday to continue to find ways to combat alcohol and drug abuse in the region.

A Substance Abuse Coalition meeting featured health care, drug prevention, and mental health professionals, as well as law enforcement officers, elected officials, and local ministers as they continued their work to find reasons why drug use is on the rise, with the overall goal of reversing that trend. The group is next searching for data to solidify why certain trends happen and to better find solutions.

They invite local leaders at schools, colleges, police departments, health care facilities, and city councils to participate in their next meeting in October.