LAW ENFORCEMENT WAGING DRUG WAR ON TWO FRONTS

Solving the drug problem is no easy task. Some experts even say it's
nearly impossible.

But that isn't stopping local law enforcement officers from waging
the battle every day on two fronts: enforcement and education.

On the education front, District Attorney General Greeley Wells said
getting to kids early in their life is important.

Wells' office is involved in a statewide education presentation for
middle and high school students that addresses one of the worst drugs
in America's history - methamphetamine.

The "Meth Destroys" presentation includes a gripping video featuring
short yet powerful messages from four recovering meth addicts who
speak frankly about the drug's effect on them, their family and their
lives. The interviews are interspersed with facts and statistics,
photographs and visual effects that paint a clear picture of the
drug's dangers.

For example, the video refers to meth as a "a witches brew of poisons
you wouldn't even consider opening up and swallowing."

And during the presentation, Wells tells students "we're here because
methamphetamine is undoubtedly the most dangerous drug this country
has ever run across."

Other educational programs in local schools include DARE and DREAM, a
program developed by the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office that also
teaches kids about anger management.

On the law enforcement side of the solutions equation is a
never-ending investigation into drug activity.

For officers investigating drug cases, the work can be involved and
time-consuming.

"It takes a long time to get the evidence, a year or more, in order
to make arrests" in large-scale drug investigations, Wells said.

Kingsport Police Department vice detectives spend much of their time
conducting undercover surveillance in order to get enough evidence to
obtain a search warrant for an alleged drug house.

Sullivan County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Bobby Dooley, who supervises
the Special Ops division, said he and his two vice officers are busy
with drug investigations, but he always welcomes information from
local citizens about drug activity.

"The main thing the community can do is keep their eyes open for drug
dealing in the public or in their neighborhoods," Dooley said.

Citizens can make anonymous phone calls to the sheriff's office to
report suspected drug activity, or Dooley said they can become
involved in the investigation.

"We use confidential informants during our investigations."

Other methods include officers infiltrating a drug ring and making
drug buys to gather evidence.

Wells, Kingsport Police Chief Mark Addington and other officials said
the solution isn't just a law enforcement problem, it's a social
problem - especially for prescription drug abuse.

They said the medical community needs to take a stand against doctors
writing so many prescriptions for strong pain medications, and it
would help if there were more ways to monitor the dispensing of such
medications.

"Regulatory authorities, state and federal agencies, will not step
in. They will not do anything (and) it's their job," Addington said.

"My own opinion is the physicians should stop writing prescriptions
for pain medications left and right," Wells said.

An electronic medical records initiative scheduled to be in operation
in the region by year's end may also play a part in the fight against
prescription drug abuse.

CareSpark is a regional patient database that will provide medical
professionals ready access to patients' medical records, including
their prescriptions. The system will interconnect with physician
offices, hospitals, public health departments, pharmacies,
laboratories and imaging centers.

Wells said getting hooked on drugs is easier than getting off drugs,
but for those who really want to clean up, there is help out there.

Wells also said state and local governments funding more probation
officer positions to the probation department, writing in more
supervision requirements, and putting more money into drug treatment
programs for offenders would help combat the drug addictions so many
people have.