An editorial from The Register-Herald
BECKLEY, W.Va. — The Marion County Adult Drug Court has only been operating for a few months, but you can count Circuit Court Judge Michael Aloi as a believer.
The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals reports that since 2011, more than 70 babies have been born drug-free to women participating in drug courts. Of those born drug-free, 10 babies were born to participants in juvenile drug courts.
Aloi says that in the few months the court has been operating in Marion County, he has seen it help several men become drug-free fathers.
“One day I saw a participant enjoying a nice day with their family at the park,” he said. “That’s what it’s all about.”
We need more days like that in West Virginia.
And he says it’s also working for mothers, helping keep their newborns from being born addicts.
Having to create a program to prevent newborns from being born addicted to drugs due to their mothers abusing drugs is an example of how deeply the tentacles of drug abuse have spread in our communities.
It serves as a reminder to us all that the world of drugs is not separate from us in some dark and parallel place, but is right here in our community…