THERE'S a tendency to think of state lines as great structures that can stop things dead in their tracks. And in some ways, state lines function that way.

Physicians in one state may have not have access to information about what a patient has been prescribed in another state. State databases stop knowledge at the border.

But people eager to get their hands on prescription painkillers aren't necessarily fazed by borders. Addicts think nothing of doctor- shopping across state lines to get more pills.

Prescribers in one state may know nothing of an abuser's pleas to another doctor only a few miles away in another state. It might not be that hard for a pillhead to score twice.

But prescription drug abuse has become a serious problem for society, and Ohio just joined forces with Kentucky to combat it.

The Ohio Department of Health recently announced that drug overdoses have become the leading cause of accidental death in that state, a distinction previously held by automobile accidents.

Illegal substances like Heroin play a big role, the Associated Press reported, but prescription pain medications provided the growth factor.

In an effort to slow that traffic down, Ohio just reached a data- sharing agreement with Kentucky, which is equally concerned about prescription drug abuse.

A new system will let physicians access a database through a secure Web site and check the prescription records of patients not only in their own state, but in the other state as well.

That might help physicians stop some abuse.

Perhaps West Virginia should follow this experiment, see how well it works, and consider joining the war.