Jail has too often been the first -- and only -- solution for drug addicts in Northwest Indiana. Certainly they must be punished for the shoplifting and petty thefts they commit in order to get the money to feed their habit. But that only treats a symptom of their disease.


Curing addiction -- while much more difficult -- eliminates the need to commit crimes. And when that happens, it frees up expensive jail cells needed for real criminals.

There are no long-term addiction treatment centers in Northwest Indiana. A few short-term counseling centers provide some service, but they don't begin to address the need that addicts have.

It's simplistic to think that telling children to "just say no" will keep them away from drugs. It might work for awhile, but faced with peer pressure, the stress of dealing with life's problems or a sense of experimentation, people will make life-changing decisions that aren't always for the best. Drugs, Alcohol, smoking and premarital sex are among the decisions young people wrestle with.

Many young addicts want help to kick their habit. But lack of a long-term treatment center in the region means that many of those who need it -- those who can't afford to travel to treatment centers in Indianapolis or other distant places -- are given only a few words of encouragement or jail to deal with their problem. Neither is a solution.