OTHER DRUGS GRAB HEADLINES, BUT CRACK STILL KILLS

With drugs such as Ecstacy, GHB and methamphetamine grabbing headlines
across the nation, it's easy to forget the damage done by other drugs.

Crack cocaine still stands as one of the most bought and sold drugs in
the Scioto Valley and the pain and suffering it inflicts on those who
use it -- and the loved ones of those caught in its grasp -- is immense.

A Health and Human Services report says an estimated 14 percent of
Americans 12 and older will have used crack once in their lifetime. Of
that number, about 150,000 people aged 12 to 17 and a little more than
1 million people aged 18 to 25 used crack at least once.

Crack cocaine use among high school students is a particular problem.
Nearly 4 percent of high school seniors in the U.S. used the drug at
least once in their lifetime, and more than 1 percent used the drug in
the past month, according to the University of Michigan's Monitoring
the Future Survey.

And, if we believe it's less of a problem today than in the past,
here's a set of incredibly sobering statistics: In 2001, more than 1.1
million people tried cocaine -- the highest level of first use since
1988 and emergency rooms reported nearly 200,000 mentions of cocaine
in cases resulting in treatment during 2002. The latter number has
climbed steadily since 1995.

Crack cocaine is a killer. It's cheap, easy to get and hard to resist,
but it can -- and most often does -- kill. It's on our streets and
can't be stopped by police alone.

The U.S. 23 Pipeline Task Force is working hard to combat this plague,
but it needs help from the community. Don't let dealers set up shop in
your neighborhood. Make an anonymous call to police and get them out
of your area.

If you know someone who is using crack or powder cocaine,
intervene.

If they won't seek or take help, call the police. It's a drastic step,
but it might be one that saves a life.

If you know someone who is using crack or powder cocaine, intervene.