Published: November 16, 2009 10:33 pm      

Byrd warns state about drug abuse

West Virginia’s collective potential is under threat by the “poison” of drug abuse, Sen. Robert C. Byrd warned Monday in remarks given to the 2009 Governor’s Drug Summit in Charleston.

A number of his staff members from both Washington and the state took part in the event, in which Gov. Joe Manchin unwrapped a new statewide strategy to confront the problem of substance abuse.

Byrd said drug abuse is overwhelming West Virginia’s criminal justice, health, child welfare, work force and education systems and threatens the state’s economy.

“Unless we take action to address the growing cancer of substance abuse, it may poison West Virginia’s potential,” Byrd said. “At stake are the futures of our children, the vitality of our families, the strength of our work force, the health of our people and, in my view, the soul and spirituality of our citizenry.”

Byrd, D-W.Va., said drugs and alcohol, along with the misuse of prescription drugs, destroy humanity and rob a people of dignity. “We must, somehow, stop the scourge of substance abuse before it threatens even our pride in being West Virginians,” the senator said.

Byrd vowed to seek optimal levels of federal funding to attack substance abuse, including special money for the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, the West Virginia National Guard Counterdrug Program, the West Virginia Prevention Resource Center, and a number of other local initiatives.

“West Virginians must be ready to defeat the enemy we call substance abuse, using the tolls of aggressive prevention, early intervention, treatment and law enforcement,” Byrd said.