Opinion

Drug scourge necessitates long-term treatment

An editorial from The Register-Herald

BECKLEY, W.Va. — It’s no secret that substance abuse continues to run rampant in southern West Virginia. It’s the scourge that never seems to die. When law enforcement and health care communities get a grip on one tentacle of the beast, another slides along to snatch away any gains.

We could build a thousand jails to lock away all of the addicts and the pushers, but we know that isn’t going to make the problem go away.

As we have said before, what is needed are more — many more — long-term treatment and rehabilitation centers.

That became more evident Wednesday at the meeting of the Fayette County Commission where Prosecuting Attorney Larry Harrah reported that between 90 and 95 percent of all arraignments in the county are drug-related.

Think about that.

Then think about how many of that number are sentenced to a jail term or probation because there are no residential treatment centers with open beds.

It’s no wonder the cycle repeats over and over…

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