I am writing to encourage the good citizens of Scioto County to support the Drug Prevention Levy. We have a rare opportunity to take an important action to help our children and grandchildren have a fighting chance in their battle to avoid experimenting with drugs and the awful consequences that happen with drug addiction.

Almost every family in Scioto County has a story of a loved one who as experienced the horrors of drug addiction. Families struggle to care for children whose parents are addicted or incarcerated. Too many families have lost loved ones to drug overdose.

The Drug Prevention Levy will provide drug prevention and education resources to our children in schools. It will provide children with a counter message to the peer pressure encouraging them to use drugs. The levy will provide for safe and drug-free recreational opportunities for youth, as well as supporting families in their efforts to protect their children and grandchildren.

The best way to deal with drug abuse and addiction is to prevent it from happening in the first place. It has never been more true that an “ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” By supporting prevention we can save the next generation of children from experiencing the devastation we have witnessed in the past few years in our community.

Ed Hughes

Portsmouth