What are they REALLY saying?: Drug abuse.

Here's the candidates' positions on the issue of drug abuse, courtesy of the H-L.

Question:

What specific action will you take during the first six months of your administration to quantifiably reduce the number of Kentuckians addicted to prescription medication?

Fletcher's Answer:

I have upgraded our KASPER prescription drug tracking system to monitor and limit access to abusive purchases of prescription drugs, and started 10 Recovery Kentucky centers that provide a supportive environment to help people beat their drug and alcohol addictions. I have also implemented the first comprehensive statewide substance abuse treatment program in Juvenile Justice because 57% of DJJ youth in facilities are at moderate to high risk for substance abuse. Next year we will establish a pre-trial option for accused non-violent drug users to enter secure rehabilitation rather than waiting in jail for a trial.

Beshear's Answer:

Prescription drug abuse is a epidemic in the Commonwealth. I will bring together state and local government, law enforcement officials, treatment professionals and educators to discuss innovative ways to expand programs in every county of the state with emphasis on law enforcement, treatment and education. Decades of study show that expanded drug treatment, detoxification, and education do more to reduce drug use and drug crime than any other approach. The money taxpayers save in reduced crime and decreased law enforcement costs would more than pay for the costs of these programs.

My view? Highlighted. I think we can use more preventive programs and pre-trial services (combined with STRONG law enforcement), short of jail ware-housing of offenders, which does NOTHING to prevent drug relapse.

So there you have it, where the candidates stand on the issue of drug abuse, in their own words, deciphered.