Pubdate: Wed, 04 May 2005
Source: Cherokee Scout, The (Murphy, NC)
Copyright: 2005 The Cherokee Scout
Contact:  http://www.thecherokeescout.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2314
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

SMALL VICTORIES BETTER THAN NONE

Rarely a day goes by without a media outlet somewhere reporting criminal 
activity associated with drugs.

Be it the bust of smugglers or domestic suppliers or an act perpetrated by 
the desire to get drugs, daily news is liberally splashed with such items. 
While it may seem like the 30-year-old war on drugs is resembling U.S. 
efforts in Vietnam - i.e., a no-win proposition - there are skirmishes and 
battles along some fronts where advances are made.

It won't make national network news, USA Today or the Washington Post, but 
headway in the war on drugs is being made in Cherokee County and western 
North Carolina.

To combat an increasing prescription drug abuse problem in the county, 
Sheriff Keith Lovin has drawn a line in the sand. Over the past six months, 
Lovin has charged - and been supported by grand juries - three different 
people with second-degree murder in prescription drug overdose deaths. 
Couple that with state Sen. John Snow (D. Murphy) co-sponsoring a bill to 
restrict the sale of tablets used in the manufacturing of methamphetamine, 
and at least small victories have been won.

Lovin is saying there will be accountability for actions, while Snow is 
part of putting a clamp on a budding epidemic.

Rather that waiting for something to happen, both elected officials are 
doing what they were elected to do - be proactive in dealing with problems. 
Bravo.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom