At first glance, recent headlines in a series of unrelated stories appear ominous.

"Nesquehoning police discover heroin in traffic stop.""Meth lab found in car in Hometown.""Tamaqua traffic stop nets marijuana stash."But in the larger scheme of things, what appear to be alarming stories are actually a pronouncement of positive steps taken in the local war on drugs.Of course it's no secret Pennsylvania has an illegal drug problem.In our state, it's a crime to possess illegal or controlled substances such as marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine and other drugs.We have a judicial system in place to deal with it.And it tries to do more than issue a slap on the wrist.A defendant will be found guilty of drug possession and suffer substantial consequences if a prosecutor proves beyond a reasonable doubt that a defendant knowingly and intentionally possessed a controlled substance.Such cases are using up many of the resources of our legal system. But it's a war that must be fought.Yes it's disturbing that the drug issue has migrated to rural areas.It's unsettling that our peaceful, wholesome small towns are plagued with trafficking operations, gang activity and local addiction problems.At this point, the drug problem is widespread. It's everywhere.Just because you might not see your town in the headlines, don't think for a moment your area is immune.Luckily, our local police are drug-savvy.Our police know how to spot telltale signs of addiction.They also know how to detect suspicious behavior. They can recognize signs during a routine traffic stop that might indicate nefarious activity or the presence of contraband.They're trained to spot paraphernalia that might suggest the presence of a meth lab operation.Illegal drugs aren't tolerated in our towns, and our police are doing their best.Yes, drugs are still here. That much is evident by reading recent headlines and stories.But if you're dealing or using, it's only a matter of time before police will find you.So while the headlines might look like bad news, they're really not.Each one is an announcement of another dealer, manufacturer or user taken off the streets.The war on drugs is in high gear in Carbon and Schuylkill counties.And our local police are in the trenches, successfully pushing forward on the front line of battle.They deserve our support every step of the way.By DONALD R. SERFASSdserfass@tnonline.com