Dear editor,

Many of us in the county remember our parents and grandparents had sayings such as “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” We didn’t know what that meant as children, but as we got older we understood the health care situations it referenced.

That same saying can apply today to the opioid problem that this same group of people is worn out from hearing about.

We now get a ton of cure, such as drug courts, first-time offender laws and other special taxpayer funded programs, but where is the ounce of prevention?

Here is my suggestion for the ounce of prevention for both Carbon and Schuylkill counties: Require all residential landlords to have every adult “new” tenant applicant who wants to rent their apartment submit to a drug test. Employers can do it, why not landlords?

The applicant would prepay for this service. If they can’t pass a drug test, they can find a place to live elsewhere. It won’t catch every problem, but it will be an ounce of prevention toward opioid problems and related expenses to our counties.

Can we get our politicians to listen to the common sense of our ancestors?

John Ferguson

Towamensing Township