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Working Together Against Drug Abuse

Better collaboration among states is needed to cope with the scourge of substance abuse, Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor believes. To that end, she helped organize a regional summit meeting on the issue earlier this month.

Representatives from Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Virginia, Tennessee and Michigan attended the event, held in Cincinnati.

More and more collaboration is being seen. Just before O’Connor’s event, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine met in Wheeling for a community event on drug abuse. Local law enforcement officials and officers from both sides of the river work together frequently.

But O’Connor’s initiative brings up a question: Why should states have to take the lead on cooperation?

Drug abuse is a nationwide epidemic, though it is worse in some states than in others. Federal agencies — perhaps the Drug Enforcement Administration — ought to be handling coordination of efforts. Obviously, that is not being done adequately now.

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