In February, the 51-member Statewide Drug Control Assessment Summit of state, federal and local officials in drug prevention-education, treatment and law enforcement, began the important work of examining Kentucky's substance abuse issues.

This assessment with people from every domain that touches substance abuse was necessary because the commonwealth needs more than law enforcement, more than treatment and more than prevention-education to approach this problem. The efforts in state government and in our local communities must be coordinated for maximum impact. As Gov. Ernie Fletcher has said many times, we must be effective, not just tough on Kentucky's drug problem.

That substance abuse constitutes one of Kentucky's most grave concerns is not in dispute. How to better address and solve the problem was the subject matter of the summit's work during its five intensive months of work. Included in the assessment was a series of 16 regional public input meetings across the commonwealth. It was here that summit members heard that:

• While some programs were working, there was not enough accessible, affordable drug treatment available.

• The state needs more science-based prevention-education programs.

• Law enforcement efforts should be better coordinated.

We heard about a variety of programs, and we heard about people. At nearly every meeting, Kentuckians told stories about losing someone they loved to drug addiction, and others talked about their personal battles with substance abuse.

As executive director of the Kentucky League of Cities - an association consisting of 370 cities - I was highly aware of the heart-wrenching, community-destroying effects of substance abuse before serving on the summit. I was humbled, however, by the gravity and depth of the problem.

Quite simply, I took this temporary assignment to start the governor's Office of Drug Control Policy because in every conversation with a mayor or county judge, at every turn in our efforts to create great communities that will nurture great citizens, substance abuse rears it ugly head. As one mayor described it, substance abuse is the terrorism from within and a far greater threat than any from the outside.

My passion for Kentucky's communities and this great commonwealth led me to believe that this is a mission of such importance that I could not in good conscience pass up the opportunity. I am honored that the governor and lieutenant governor trust my organization and I to take on this daunting task.

When Gov. Ernie Fletcher formally endorsed the summit's recommendations recently, including one to create the Office of Drug Control Policy, the team had already done much to give this new, important office a starting point. The summit's work was not yet another study, but an assessment that resulted in clear recommendations and steps for implementing them. Now, the real work begins, and that excites me.

The possibilities are wondrous. This problem is multifaceted, and to approach it that way seems obvious. Yet until now a model that takes into account the building of a statewide strategy of prevention-education, treatment and enforcement has not existed. The time is now, and we are working feverishly to make that a reality.

Only by creating a statewide strategy will we be able to effectively provide Kentuckians the means to release substance abuse's hold on our citizens. My goal is to create this system as the governor has indicated, and my dream is to create a model in our nation to help others who are struggling with this issue as well.

Of course, all of this will require resources.

Some will come in the form of additional funding, and some will come in restoring belief in average citizens - almost all of whom have been touched in one way or another by this scourge - while some will come in the form of resource allocation and efficiency.

The immediate task before the Office of Drug Control Policy in the short term will be to bring coordination, standards and structure to what is currently not the case in substance-abuse efforts in prevention-education, treatment and enforcement.

It is obvious that a long-term funding plan must be developed. But before that, there must be that initial work, including efforts to find efficiencies in a system that at best can be described in some instances as one that is seriously overlapped and duplicative and leaves some needs unmet.

One effort that will take place immediately on funding will be to aggressively - in a way never seen before - seek out federal and private grants. This approach must be strategic and will be successful, as the stakes are very high.

Because the ODCP will be focusing on only using outcome-based substance abuse programs, all its resources will be used to attack the drug problem.

As we begin this long-term endeavor to improve Kentucky's response to substance abuse, I know that, as Fletcher said, we are far from declaring victory. But we are on the path.

Sylvia Lovely is the interim executive director of Kentucky's new Office of Drug Control Policy. She is also the executive director and chief executive officer of the Kentucky League of Cities, a position she has held for 14 years.