Pubdate: Tue, 08 Apr 2003 Source: Lexington Herald-Leader (KY) Copyright: 2003 Lexington Herald-Leader Contact: http://www.kentucky.com/mld/heraldleader/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/240 Author: Lee Mueller 'UNITE' TO BE SET UP IN 29 E. KENTUCKY COUNTIES HAZARD - Frenchburg Mayor Dwain Benson told a group of federal and state leaders yesterday how, with the help of a counselor, he dug himself out of a pit of alcohol and prescription-pill addiction that reached its nadir 16 years ago when he threatened to shoot his new wife and later couldn't remember it. "We're doing very nicely now, thank you," said Benson, now in his second term as mayor of the Menifee County seat. "But it's a terrible thing. It just eats you alive ... and you're always that close to slipping back into that pit." Benson's testimonial helped mark the beginning yesterday of a $8 million federally funded program announced by U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Somerset, to combat what Rogers termed a "drug epidemic" in 29 Kentucky counties. Rogers cited a recent Herald-Leader series, Prescription for Pain, which reported that Kentucky leads the nation in prescription-drug abuse. "This is the worst, most devastating problem I've seen in my public life," Rogers told the group. "These drugs have torn families apart, ruined lives and stretched the resources of law enforcement and social-services agencies to the absolute limit. "That's not acceptable," he said. "That's going to change, starting today." Rogers secured funds in Congress for the three-year program, which was labeled Operation UNITE, an acro-nym for Unlawful Narcotics Investigation Treatment and Education. It will finance the creation of a three-pronged attack on the problem, he said. . Law enforcement: Three task forces will be created in roughly three area development districts -- Cumberland Valley, Kentucky River and Big Sandy -- to focus on drug interdiction, confiscation and undercover operations, Rogers said. Each task force will have its own director and board, he said. Initially, one federally trained undercover agent will be assigned to each county to work with local law enforcement officials to target corrupt health care professionals, Medicare and Medicaid fraud and street-level dealers "and up the hills and hollows in our region," he said. "We will not be nice," Rogers said. "We're going to ask them to bear down. Most will be undercover and be able to operate across county lines. And as UNITE grows, we hope to be able to increase the number of agents." At the same time, U.S. Attorney Greg Van Tatenhove has committed six roving special prosecutors to work with local commonwealth's attorneys on the project, Rogers said. . Treatment: UNITE will help coordinate efforts by private and state drug treatment services, Rogers said, and work with state officials to establish additional drug courts in the region. Research indicates that while drug courts motivate defendants "to get off drugs," only 11 of the 29 counties now have them, Rogers said. He and Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice Joseph Lambert will meet April 22 with all circuit judges with a goal of establishing a drug court in at least each judicial district, he said. . Community coalitions and education: The program will help coordinate various local anti-drug and court-watch groups in the same way Rogers' PRIDE program has attacked the region's litter and untreated sewage problems, he said. Karen Engle, director of the PRIDE program, will be executive director of UNITE. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom