Wheeling and other communities throughout West Virginia have an opportunity to do something impactful with funding being made available through West Virginia’s opioid lawsuit settlement. Drug treatment programs, education programs on the dangers of drugs and potentially funding additional behavioral health therapists and certified addiction and health care providers would be an excellent step in combating the problem.

Deciding to spend nearly $600,000 on tools that would allow law enforcement to better regulate current drug use appears to be a counter-intuitive approach to spending this one-time funding. But that’s what city leaders in Wheeling had planned to do until those locally who work with people and families impacted by drugs spoke out Tuesday to Wheeling City Council.

Wisely, members of Wheeling City Council chose to table the matter for further consideration.

“Substance use disorders are catastrophic to the very fabric of our society and continue to have a significant and costly impact on the health, well being and economy of Wheeling,” said Laura Weigel, program director at the YWCA Wheeling. “The substance abuse epidemic in West Virginia has negatively affected individuals and families, presents ongoing challenges to health care and behavioral health systems and significantly impacted the economic vitality of the city and the state.”

Weigel is correct — this funding must be used to help turn the tide when it comes to the opioid crisis. Spending it on an all all-terrain vehicle for the city police department, among other items, is so foolish it’s hard to believe the proposal even came before council.

Let’s be clear: Despite all the money that’s been put into enforcement of the opioid crisis, this is not an issue Wheeling can arrest its way out of. Instead, treatment and education will be key in providing these folks with a future that does not include allowing an addiction to rule their lives.

“We wait until people are in a terrible situation before we address the problem,” resident Holly Eckart said.

“Step forward as a community and recognize that preventive care works. Preventive medicine does work. It’s unfortunate that we have a medical care system that only treats the emergency.”

It’s been clear for years that more arrests will not bring an end to the opioid crisis. Law enforcement has its role in this matter — but an agency’s wants should not overrule the community’s need that we continue to see today.