[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 122 (Tuesday, September 15, 1998)]
[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.

     

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