Last week, Windham was one of 10 Maine towns and cities where at least three arrests were made in a sweep of drug dealers and users.

The sweep was conducted by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency as part of Operation Byrne Blitz, called “a national effort to highlight federal cuts to drug task forces,” by Maine State Police spokesman Steve McCausland.

The raids were conducted as a response to federal plans to cut a grant program for drug enforcement task forces by 67 percent, with the share to Maine dropping from $1.7 million to more than $600,000.

In Maine, more than 90 arrests were made, with 5 1?2 grams of crack cocaine, 8 grams of powder cocaine, 5 grams of heroin, 61 narcotic tablets and less than 2 pounds of marijuana among what was seized. A vehicle and more than $13,000 cash were also taken.

What is evident from the arrests is how widespread drug use is in Maine, both in numbers of users and varieties of drugs used. What is also evident is that no cartels were brought to heel in the raids.

Given the drugs seized compared to the amount of arrests, it seems many of those arrested are small-time users who will likely not be cured of addictions by serving brief sentences if convicted. Many could face no time behind bars, given overcrowding in state prisons and county jails.

Those who do serve time will also find it hard to get substantial, if any treatment, for their addictions.

“Maine’s crime rate will plummet if illicit drugs were totally eliminated,” said MDEA Director Roy McKinney after the raids last week. True enough, but illicit drugs will never be eliminated until the need for them is. The need for illicit drugs will never be eliminated until a system of jailing small time users without providing substantial means to get them help is changed.

The first step to a cure is always made by the addict, and the road to sobriety and productivity is a journey the addict must willingly take. The collective cost to assist addicts is enormous, topped only by the cost of sentencing drug users to prison terms and then releasing them with addictions intact.

Law enforcement officials speak of a more violent, brazen class of addict committing crimes to feed addictions to opiates, and the seizure of 61 narcotic pills last week in the raids illustrates the fearful trend.

It also underscores the need to keep funding stable or raise it, with money also earmarked to improve treatment for addicts. Traditionally, the agencies investigating and apprehending dealers and users have shared money and property seized in drug raids. Diverting a share of the money to pay for counselors and clinics could help eliminate drug dealers by removing customers who could also become productive citizens again.

At the same time, combating drug use and addiction effectively will not begin to happen by eliminating the money used for joint efforts by cash-strapped law enforcement agencies.

David Harry, editor