[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1720]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DRUG ABUSE IN RURAL INDIANA
______
HON. LEE H. HAMILTON
of indiana
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, September 15, 1998
Mr. HAMILTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert my
Washington Report for Tuesday, September 15, 1998 into the
Congressional Record.
Drug Abuse in Rural Indiana
Last month I held a series of meetings around the Ninth
Congressional District to discuss drug abuse in Southern
Indiana. These meetings were held in followup to a recent
report, Rural Indiana Profile, I commissioned describing the
drug abuse problem in rural Indiana, and were aimed at giving
local, state, and federal officials as well as community
leaders an opportunity to visit about the scope of the drug
challenges in our communities and about efforts to combat
them. What follows is a summary of the major findings of
those meetings.
Scope of problem: Community leaders agreed that drug abuse
ranks as one of the toughest challenges they now confront.
They are pleased that much good work is being done by many
persons and groups to rid our communities of drug abuse, but
they also agree that much more needs to be done. Most people
know someone who has a drug abuse problem or has been the
victim of a crime related to drugs. Among youth, rates of use
for alcohol, tobacco and most other drugs are higher in rural
Indiana than elsewhere in the state and the nation.
Rural Indiana pays a large price for drug abuse. According
to recent statistics, 80-90% of local criminal cases in
southern Indiana are drug-related, and drug-related illnesses
and treatment account for nearly one-fourth of health care
costs.
Response to problem: Community leaders recognize that drug
abuse is a complex problem requiring a multifaceted response.
Education and Prevention: Attendees at the meetings all
stressed that leaders must say with one voice that there will
be zero tolerance for drug abuse in our communities. To reach
youth on the harms of drug abuse, we must send this message
of zero tolerance repeatedly to our young people, first at
the earliest ages and then through grade school and high
school. Many communities have drug awareness programs in
place in their schools, but local leaders agreed that more
could be done, at all levels of government, to expand anti-
drug education and prevention efforts.
Joint Response: The response to the drug problem must
include more than just law enforcement and the criminal
justice system if it is to be successful. It must also
include representatives from our schools, prevention centers,
treatment facilities, employers, clergy, community
organizations, government officials and the media.
Local Coordinating Councils: Every county in Indiana has
already established Local Coordinating Councils (LCCs). These
councils are intended to coordinate anti-drug efforts in our
communities, and their responsibilities include: identifying
community drug programs; coordinating community initiatives;
designing comprehensive, collaborative community strategies;
and monitoring anti-drug activities at the local level. The
LCCs have not been around very long, and those who attended
the meetings agreed that LCCs are a good idea which require
more nurturing, support, and funding. At the county level,
there is funding available through fees levied on alcohol and
other drug related offenders--but in many rural counties,
where the number of drug offenses is relatively small,
funding is limited. Community leaders believe that additional
funding might come from large employers, civic organizations,
grants, and joint LCC efforts.
Treatment: The lack of drug treatment facilities is a
concern in every county in southern Indiana. Access to
outpatient facilities are generally limited, while access to
in-patient, long-term treatment is almost non-existent. Long-
term treatment, while often effective, is expensive, and
communities must rely on scarce federal dollars for such
treatment efforts. LCCs and other community leaders will most
likely have to develop local and private funding sources as
well as collaborate with neighboring counties in order to
expand treatment opportunities for their residents.
Criminal Reporting System: Local law enforcement and
prosecutors stress the importance of establishing in Indiana
an electronic reporting system, which would provide an easily
accessible record of criminal offenders. Indiana is now in
the process of developing such a system. Local leaders note
that without such a system, it is difficult to identify and
clean up ``hot spots'' where there is a lot of drug activity,
build meaningful partnerships among jurisdictions, or obtain
funding for particular initiatives.
Drug Courts: Most local courts in Indiana that routinely
deal with alcohol and drug offenses have created various
evaluation and treatment programs through their probation
departments. There have been few drug courts established,
however, to deal specifically with the growing docket of drug
abuse cases. Many jurisdictions around the country are
turning to drug courts, which generally place non-violent
drug abusing offenders into intensive court-supervised
treatment instead of prison. The City of Lawrenceburg is
attempting to open a juvenile drug court for Dearborn and
Ohio counties. This will be the first rural drug court in
Indiana, and will serve an estimated 50 to 60 juveniles in
the first year of operation.
Conclusion: Our communities in Southern Indiana are
diverse, but they face similar challenges in fighting drug
abuse and many are adopting similar strategies in dealing
with the problem. Short-term goals include: better
coordination through the Local Coordinating Councils, better
evaluations of programs and access to evaluations, more youth
initiatives, and more public-private initiatives. Long-term
goals include: inpatient facilities within reasonable driving
distance for residents, development of multijurisdictional
drug courts, and expanded education programs for children and
youth.
Community leaders also recognize that schools, the court
system, and other local institutions can only do so much in
combating drug use in southern Indiana. Fighting drugs, they
say, really starts at home. Parents must set the example of
drug-free living if children are expected to accept a similar
lifestyle, and must talk to their children about the dangers
of drug use. We must all work hand-in-hand, from the home to
the schools to the courthouses, if we are to achieve drug-
free communities in Indiana.
Rural Indiana Profile is available on the Internet at the
following address: www.drugs.indiana.edu/publications.
____________________