FIGHTING THE DRUG WAR: STATEWIDE STRATEGY WELCOMED

The Mountain State is seeking its first statewide strategy for
countering the ravages of drug and alcohol addiction.

A new report released last week by state officials recommends spending
$23.5 million a year in prevention, early intervention, treatment and
recovery efforts.

The plan was requested by Gov. Joe Manchin, who is urging all
communities across the Mountain State to get involved in the fight
against drug and alcohol addiction.

The plan specifically seeks the creation of county prevention
partnerships, or one group in each county, to devise local solutions
and serve as a channel for state resources, according to an Associated
Press report.

It also calls for surveys of students at all secondary schools every
two years, annual reports to the governor and Legislature and a review
of state law as it applies to substance abuse.

The plan also takes a new look at how the criminal justice system
currently treats individuals who are convicted of nonviolent drug
offenses. An earlier study group convened by the governor recommended
less severe penalties and a shift from punishment to treatment.

State Supreme Court Chief Justice Brent Benjamin endorsed that concept
last week. According to Benjamin, efforts like the state's drug
courts, which focus on treatment and rehabilitation, should be enhanced.

Locally, officials continue to see success stories emerge out of the
drug court in Mercer County, which is home to one of the first drug
court programs in West Virginia.

We applaud Manchin for tackling the chronic problem of drug and
alcohol addiction in the Mountain State. The rampant abuse of drugs
and alcohol is still a grave problem across southern West Virginia.

While the proposed statewide strategy is welcomed, a potential
stumbling block for Manchin is the price tag of the $23.5 million
plan. Manchin is not yet committed to the idea of raising taxes on
alcohol to fund the initiative, but he hasn't ruled it out. The West
Virginia Prevention Resource Center, which prepared the report,
estimates that substance abuse currently costs the state more than
$470 million a year.

Lawmakers are convinced the new statewide strategy for countering drug
and alcohol addiction can be implemented as early as next year.

We wish lawmakers and the governor the best of luck as they work to
tackle the drug and alcohol problem. Anything that can be done to help
win the war on drugs, and to overcome the deadly scourge of addiction,
should be pursued with vigor.