Martin Gonzalez quickly learned drugs were a problem when he came to Grand Island ten years ago.

It took him a while to see how far-reaching the problem was.

On Jan. 1, with the help of the Community Cultural Education Center, he started a program to help people deal with drug problems.

Gonzalez runs drug-abuse hotline that provides information and referral services in English and Spanish.

The line has already had some response.

He says one of the main objectives of the line is to give people immediate solutions.

That is important he says because when people call for help, they do not want to be told they have to wait for an opening at a treatment center. It is a situation he says is too common on some other help lines.