Editorial: Turn back the rise in drug deaths

Thursday, March 4, 2004 | 8:54 a.m.

Afederal report has found that Las Vegas has the third-highest percentage of drug-related deaths when compared with 30 other major U.S. cities. In 2001 there were 273 drug-related deaths here, but in 2002, the latest year tracked nationwide, the number spiked to 376. Police and drug treatment professionals say there are a number of factors tied to the 38 percent increase. One is that there are many newcomers to Las Vegas who have no family or friends here, which can lead them to turn to drugs when they encounter adversity. The anything-goes lifestyle of Las Vegas -- partly embodied in the city's marketing campaign that tells tourists "What happens here, stays here" -- also can play a role.

The city's culture won't change soon, if ever, but that doesn't mean we should give up on fighting drug abuse. In fact, innovative approaches have been used to tackle the issue. In 1992, for example, a Drug Court was created in Clark County (at the time it was just the fifth in the nation). Instead of imprisoning people convicted of drug offenses, those eligible are enrolled in treatment and rehabilitation programs that include drug testing. The program serves as a national model. In addition, Nevada launched a program in 1997 that monitors drugs distributed by pharmacies, a program lauded this week by President Bush. A computer program red flags patients who appear to be either doctor shopping -- going to a number of physicians and getting the same medications, which can lead to addiction -- and those who are receiving large quantities of medicine in a sh ort span of time. If a red flag is raised, the patient's physicians are then notified, hopefully resulting in treatment.

Drug Court and the prescription-drug monitoring program are important tools, but they don't get to the people before they're addicted. City officials and business leaders should reassess drug prevention programs, including those in public schools, to see if there is a better way to reach young people so they don't try drugs in the first place. We also could use more in-patient drug treatment centers -- Las Vegas has only three. And employers could do more to make sure employees get treatment if drug abuse is suspected. There is no easy remedy, but we should be open to innovative strategies that can prevent addiction, which we've too often found has ended tragically.