KINGSTON -- Are Rockingham County and the state of New Hampshire losing the war on drugs?

Nine panelists, with differing experiences in drug treatment, enforcement and surveillance, attempted to address that question on Friday at Sanborn Regional High School.

Rather than giving a simple yes or no answer to a complex question, the public forum, attended by about 50 people, including six local state representatives and senators, focused on treatment as an underutilized but effective weapon in the ongoing battle.

The keynote speaker, Dr. Nova Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), offered promising statistics and findings in a prerecorded video address. According to NIDA research, she said, drug addicts who receive treatment for their disease are seven times more likely to be drug-free after three years than those receiving no treatment.

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