Parents, communities must develop higher standards

Letter to the Editor:

After reading a recent article about our county’s deplorable illegal drug problem, I was compelled to share some insights in the matter.

It concerns me that in most cases people will immediately call on more state funds for prevention and treatment, which is just another way of saying we aren’t going to tackle the problem, but rather treat the symptoms.

Are there solutions? Yes, but with diverse communities, over reliance on a singular strategy is unlikely to produce any success, as with any dilemma it takes admitting the root cause, education and diligence. It takes a balance of prevention, intervention and law enforcement suppression to tackle a local drug culture, whereas just treating the user only proliferates the culture.

Each affected community must commit to proper education that teaches threat recognition and intervention skills to prevent our youth from involving themselves.

We cannot lay the entire burden on our law enforcement as drug proliferation is a social issue related to a cultural decline in standards.

We must endeavor to set a higher mark for our communities, families, churches and public events; thereby, taking control of the local narrative, creating a wholesome atmosphere that rejects such low and evil pursuits.

We must also speak out when we recognize those who are involved in the drug culture.

It is paramount that our parents take responsibility for our young ones,  who are our future, as the nature of that future is in our hands.

—Russell Bolton, Addy, Wash.