COLUMNIST WEBSTER'S ATTACK ON DRUG FIGHT UNWARRANTED

In 1987, Pikeville lawyer Larry Webster was a Republican candidate for
lieutenant governor -- the same job, he wrote on March 14, that Steve Pence
has always wanted.

One of the cornerstones in Webster's platform was a proposal to require
schools to accept every girl who tried out for a cheerleading squad, no
matter her size or ability.

He called his initiative "Save the Heifers From Heartbreak" and said it
would be better for a bunch of 200-pound "heifers," as he called them, to be
bouncing up and down on the sidelines rather than to hurt their self-esteem
by rejecting them during tryouts.

With a campaign platform like that in his past, it's hard to take Webster's
commentaries seriously. He's an excellent satirist, but to be effective,
satire must be grounded in truth.

The Kentucky Statewide Drug Control Assessment Summit, which Webster ripped
in the March 14 column, is actually one of the best initiatives ever in
Kentucky to get serious about our state's drug problems. For the first time,
federal, state and local officials and representatives from all three
equally important aspects of drug prevention -- law enforcement, treatment
and education -- gathered to take suggestions and formulate policy.

The summit team is hearing from Kentuckians all over the state. These
high-ranking officials will recommend changes in state policy, with an eye
toward a legislative package for Gov. Ernie Fletcher to propose during next
year's General Assembly session.

By so casually dismissing the work of the summit and other programs that
seek to bring an end to this public health crisis in Kentucky, Webster
thumbs his nose at the hundreds of dedicated individuals determined to
loosen the grip drug abuse has on the state.

From methamphetamines in the west to cocaine, crack and club drugs in the
urban areas, to prescription drugs in the east and marijuana across the
state, we have a serious problem. It's threatening the collective health,
education and economy of Kentucky.

Webster's criticism of the D.A.R.E. program is a backhanded way of saying
that marijuana is harmless. This is simply not true. Does Webster know, for
instance, that 62 percent of all admissions of youth ages 12 to 17 to
substance-abuse treatment are for marijuana dependence?

D.A.R.E. instructors have done an excellent job of educating youth about the
dangers of substance abuse, including marijuana, paving the way in many
communities for more comprehensive education programs.

The establishment of drug courts will go a long way toward getting treatment
for addicts, but the sale of drugs is still a profitable enterprise for
those who are addicted to the money they make.

Punishment for trafficking is so light that many drug dealers consider the
occasional fine as just another cost of doing business, the same way many
broadcasters regard the Federal Communications Commission's small fines for
obscenity or indecency.

The FCC is in the process of increasing punishments to meaningful levels to
make them a deterrent. It's time our legal system served as a true deterrent
to drug pushers.

Substantial fines, significant asset forfeitures and lengthy prison
sentences for money-hungry traffickers are needed. At the same time,
treatment must be provided to those who sell to finance their own
addictions.

Kentucky is fortunate that such a comprehensive effort is under way. Many
programs are doing great work in the never-ending battle against drugs.

The UNITE initiative, championed by U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, is very much
welcome in our region. UNITE is putting more officers on the street,
bringing in additional prosecutors, building community coalitions, providing
educational opportunities and enhancing treatment options.

The Kentucky Agency for Substance Abuse Policy and its local boards help
give local professionals a voice in crafting community policies. The
Drug-Free Communities Support Program helps fund community coalitions and
their education and prevention programs. Countless other programs are making
real progress in this never-ending battle.

The real heartbreak in Kentucky is not caused by "heifers" not making
cheerleading squads, but by the drug monster that's claiming lives, ripping
apart families and destroying futures. We need all the help we can get in
this crusade, and Webster's criticism serves only to give aid and comfort to
the enemy.