ANTI-DRUG PROGRAM UNVEILED BY REP. ROGERS

HAZARD, Ky. (AP) - U..S. Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers unveiled a new program
yesterday that he said will help police, prosecutors and health
professionals deal with illegal drug use in Eastern Kentucky.

Congress appropriated $8 million to fund the program in February.

Rogers, R-5th District, said the money will be used to create the Unlawful
Narcotics Investigation Treatment & Education program, which will bring
together key players in an effort to thwart what he described as a drug
epidemic sweeping through the region.

"The drug epidemic is the worst scourge we've ever faced in Southern and
Eastern Kentucky," Rogers said. "These drugs have torn families apart,
ruined lives, and stretched the resources of law enforcement and
social-service agencies to the absolute limit."

Rogers referred to the program as Operation UNITE, saying it "will equip
our law enforcement officials, citizens groups, and health-care
professionals with the resources necessary to tackle this problem head-on.
UNITE is going to help this region kick the drug habit."

Operation UNITE, which serves 29 counties, will create three regional drug
task forces to do undercover investigations and to confiscate drugs in the
Cumberland Valley area, Kentucky River area and Big Sandy area.

The task forces will target streetlevel dealers and corrupt health-care
professionals.

U.S. Attorney Gregory Van Tatenhove has assigned six assistant federal
prosecutors to assist overworked commonwealth's attorneys with drug cases.