MORE RESOURCES NEEDED TO FIGHT DRUGS

Subtle reminders of the vast extent of the illegal drug problem are
around us, yet we too often overlook them.

Drug-related crimes, including thefts from homes and vehicles, are
filling our jails and driving up the cost of the criminal justice system.

But for many, the signs are more obvious. They see the effects of
addiction on the faces of loved ones and are anguished by the
difficulty in helping those friends and family members escape the
grip of drug abuse. Many families, rich and poor alike, are facing
this same struggle.

Illegal drug use is a deadly serious problem in the region.

In Porter County, there were 17 heroin-related deaths last year, up
from seven the year before. In Lake County, too, the numbers show
that heroin use is on the rise.

And from all signs, the drug problem isn't improving.

"We are above average in almost every drug, in almost every grade,"
Valparaiso University professor Larry Baas said in June when he
summarized the 2011 Porter County Epidemiological Profile. The VU
Community Research and Service Center, which Baas directs, did the study.

The three main responses to the illegal drug problem are law
enforcement, rehabilitation and prevention. All three require
additional attention, but focus more on prevention and rehabilitation
for best results.

Keeping young people away from drugs is the most effective, yet it's
more difficult than it sounds.

The Porter County drug report didn't just report the extent of the
problem; it gave recommendations as well. Getting children involved
in other activities, before they are tempted to turn to drugs, is
essential. Team sports, academic clubs and other organizations are
helpful. After-school tutoring and other programs offer promise as well.

Press forward on community efforts to keep people, especially youths,
involved in healthy activities and away from drugs

There has been much discussion over the years of legalizing drugs and
putting them under state control the way alcoholic beverages were
after Prohibition. But surrendering in the war on drugs is tantamount
to condoning their use. That must not happen.

Instead, use law enforcement to get people into treatment programs,
whether behind bars or during probation. Sending people to jail
without helping them break the grip of addiction is a costly and
inefficient response.

Our region's future depends on making progress in the war on drugs.
That will require the effort of everyone to report suspected drug
dealers, to help encourage healthy choices and to get addicts into
treatment programs.