DeWine: Towns successful in fighting drug abuse involve entire community,

WARREN

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine stood before about 125 people at his seventh Drug Abuse Town Hall, seeking input from invited panelists and the public.

What he heard was similar to what others around Ohio have said — there needs to be more education at all grade levels about the dangers of drugs, and there needs to be more treatment beds and longer treatment programs to help addicts get clean.

But DeWine said expensive fixes aren’t always the most important factor in creating a successful anti-drug effort.

“The counties and communities that have really made a difference and turned the tide on this [problem] are communities that have citizens groups that have focused on education and focused on prevention,” he said Thursday afternoon at First Methodist Church on North Park Avenue.

“They have pulled the churches in, pulled the school in, teenagers, parents, law enforcement — everybody working together.

“Many times I have seen these groups run by a mom or dad who has lost a child to heroin, who have lost a child to prescription drugs. It works. They bring a passion and they take the tragedy from the loss of a child and they try to do something good.”

Read more about the event in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.