PARENTS PLAY KEY ROLE IN WAR ON DRUGS

As we hope you read on our front page today, a new report from the
National Drug Intelligence Center in Johnstown shows that cocaine and
heroin continue to pose threats across our region - from northern
Cambria County to Johnstown to Somerset and the turnpike.

Parents should take particular note of this report.

Johnstown police Chief Craig Foust says his department sees more
cocaine than other drugs.

"What we deal with is primarily crack," he said.

Detective Jason Hunter of the Somerset County Drug Task Force said:
"Heroin is our No. 1 problem."

We applaud the work of local police departments and other
law-enforcement officials in confronting our drug problems.

And we appreciate the work being done at NDIC to target trends and
problem spots.

These professionals are doing their parts to reduce the threat of
drugs on our streets and in our communities and schools.

But the real battleground is at home. Parents are the front-line
soldiers in keeping drugs out of the hands of young people -
especially their own young people.

Sometimes efforts such as the war against drugs come down to
economics: If you can reduce the demand, the supply will wither as
well.

We are heartened by a recent report from the organization D.A.R.E.
(Drug Abuse Resistance Education) that shows drug use by teenagers
down by 25 percent since 2001.

President George W. Bush said: "That means 900,000 fewer teens on
drugs. ... No question there's still work to do in America, but we are
making progress."

As the Bush administration gives way to the Barack Obama presidency in
2009, we hope the war on drugs is not lost among the many other issues
before our nation. Indeed, many other concerns - including jobs and
national security - will be lessened as we continue to reduce drug
abuse.

And we urge moms and dads across the region to do their
part.

Get to know your kids better and connect with their friends and their
interests. It's not overbearing to want to know where your children
are and what they are doing.

The National Library of Medicine offers numerous potential warning
signs that children or young teens may be involved with drugs,
including a drop in school performance and spending large amounts of
time alone.

And the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers parents
tips including:

. Talk to other adults - teachers, coaches, guidance counselors - who
might know your child. What are they seeing in your child's behavior?

. Don't deny that there might be a problem.

. Talk to your child and be willing to ask the tough
questions.

The sad truth is that if parents can't find a way to address the drug
problem, society will - through the police, the courts and the prison
system.

We care about the children of the region. They represent our future
teachers, doctors, office workers and laborers.

We want to see them all reach their potential, and that means avoiding
the pitfalls that come with getting involved with drugs.

A year from now, the NDIC will issue another report, and we'll ask
local police departments what they're seeing.

We hope they say they're seeing fewer drugs sold and used in our area.