BY RICHELLE THOMPSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
LEBANON - Members of Warren County's Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati knew alcohol and drugs impacted their communities. They just didn't know how much.
After nearly a year of collecting statistics from the courts, probation departments and juvenile detention centers, the board found:
One in two youths admitted to the juvenile detention center test positive for drugs.
Police agencies make an average of 106 drunken-driving arrests each month.
About 84 Warren County residents each month are admitted to one of three area alcohol and drug treatment programs.
Warren County Prosecutor Tim Oliver said he "can't remember a domestic violence case in the last year that didn't involve alcohol."
The statistics reveal only the tip of the iceberg, said Debra Hackett, associate director for The Center of Warren - Clinton Counties. They show "people in the later stages of addiction where they've gotten to the point of breaking the law."
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HIGHLIGHTS
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Here are highlights of a report compiled by the Warren County chapter of Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati that show the frequency of drug and alcohol abuse in the county:
Juvenile court cases for drunken driving, drug abuse and possession: average 36 per month
Juveniles admitted to the detention center who test positive for drugs: 47 percent
Juveniles on probation who test positive for drugs: 20 percent
Adults on probation who test positive for drugs: 15 percent
Drunken-driving cases filed: a monthly average of 106.
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Because denial often is a characteristic of people addicted to drugs or alcohol, the statistics may be much higher, she said. The information culled from numerous criminal justice agencies throughout the county give the coalition a starting point for addressing the problem, said Vice Chair Bill Harper, executive director of Recovery Services of Warren - Clinton Counties.
Now, the board, founded in May 1997 as a branch of the Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati started by U.S. Rep. Rob Portman, R-Terrace Park, is working to educate the public and establish prevention programs.
The coalition held an August training session with the Bureau of Workers' Compensation to discuss the drug-free workplace program. The coalition plans to hold training sessions for health care providers to help them recognize symptoms of alcohol and drug problems. The coalition also secured a $220,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services to set up an intensive probation program, Treatment Alternatives to Street Crime (TASC).
It's designed to break the cycle of repeat offenders. Now, up to half of the 300 or so adults on probation return to jail within the year because of probation violations, Mr. Oliver said.
Similar programs, such as one in Clermont County, have reduced the recidivism rate to 8 percent, according to the Warren County TASC coordinator, Gloria Dillinger.
The program's benefits are both tangible (less tax dollars spent for the jails and prisons) and intangible (a break from alcohol or drug addiction can help build healthy families and provide better homes for children), Ms. Dillinger said.
Whereas a county probation officer may meet with a client once a month, the three TASC caseworkers will visit at least once a week and up to daily.
The county officer likely has up to 150 clients; the TASC worker will have about 35.
