KMBZ Radio Editorial Drug wars: Going into COMBAT The war on drugs will not be easily won. No number of interdictions, interception or interventions seemingly can curtail American's appetite for illegal drugs. The trends are troubling. The annual federal household survey on drug abuse reported that 10.9 percent of all U.S. teenagers admitted using illicit drugs- twice the rate four years earlier. The report triggered a round of the "blame game" during the just concluded presidential campaign. The political campaign is over, but this social war continues. The war on drugs will not be won in the halls of Congress or by closing our borders. It will be won in our communities. Demand creates supply. This is why COMBAT in Jackson County is an outstanding example of what a community can do to truly combat drug use and abuse. COMBAT, the Community Backed Anti-Drug Tax, arguably is the best community-based effort to deal with illicit drugs and drug-related crime anywhere in the United States. Voters last year reapproved the quarter-cent sales tax. That vote reflected
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