DRUG SWEEP

Treatment, Education Will Make Effects Long-Lasting

The roundup of 211 mostly prescription-drug dealers in eight Eastern
and southern Kentucky counties sent an overdue message: Street-level
dealers are not immune from prosecution.

The raids no doubt gave law enforcers and citizens a sense of
accomplishment. But it's worth asking: Is punishment enough to break
the cycle of addiction in poor areas where pills are abundant but jobs
scarce?

The UNITE effort, which stands for Unlawful Narcotics Investigation,
Treatment and Education, knows it takes more. Funded by $16 million in
federal money obtained by U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, the overall plan
includes drug education, community organization and drug treatment.

Yet UNITE must not make the mistake common to anti-drug efforts
- --putting so much money and focus on law enforcement that treatment,
education and job-training efforts remain insufficient.

Drug courts, which often provide alternatives to imprisonment, have
been set up in 20 of 29 UNITE counties. The shortage of treatment,
however, undercuts drug-court effectiveness.

Arrest and prosecution can give a false sense of security while the
courts become a revolving door for those addicted to drugs and the
money it brings.

This drug epidemic is a tough enemy to fight, especially since much of
the problem is the illegal use and sale of legal prescription drugs.

The Herald-Leader's "Prescription for Pain" series last year outlined
how multi-faceted any effective response must be.

This week's coordinated raid no doubt showed many that the state is
taking the problem seriously.

Just how seriously will depend on how well we put together all the
elements needed for a complete strategy that has a chance of breaking
a destructive cycle.