Attempts by the courts, the criminal justice system and others to deal with drug abuse have met with more frustration than success. But experience shows that doing nothing is not an option.

Butler County's 3-year-old drug court is an attempt to try something different, other than tossing drug users in jail and throwing away the key until they are released - to most likely return to the same high-risk drug use and criminal behavior.

Drug court offers an alternate, proactive approach to offenders selected by Butler County judge Michael Yeager, who has spearheaded the drug court effort in Butler County. The alternative approach tries to deal with not only substance abuse issues, but also the underlying causes behind, or related to, the abuse.

Nationally, the drug court approach has recorded a 20 percent rate of success - of getting the offender off drugs. That success rate would be rated a failure, if it were not compared to the 5 percent success rate without the unconventional drug court approach.

With drug abusers, the odds of success are slim. But rather than give up, the county's drug court efforts should continue, while trying to improve the outcomes further with more innovation - and more cooperation from other departments within the county government.

So far, in his informal sessions with drug court participants, Yeager has been receiving assistance and cooperation from Diane Burke, a therapist with the Ellen O'Brien Gaiser Addiction Center in Butler Township, and Fred Vero, chief of staff for state Rep. Guy Travaglio, D-11th. Several probation officers have also stepped forward to play an important role in drug court by trying to offer an a support system alternative to the drug-centered crowd the mostly young court participants had associated with before their arrest.

Vero takes part to help brush aside excuses for not complying with Yeager's orders to find a job or a new place to live. Vero has information and guidance to help driver's licenses and new apartments happen. Burke participates because of the high probability that people who commit drug-related crimes, often have mental health issues they should be dealing with - including additive personalities and low self-esteem.

With drug use a predictable part of the picture of a high percentage of prison inmates, both here and elsewhere around the nation, the specialized approach of drug court is a logical approach to try to break the cycle of drug use, criminal activity, prison, release, return to drug use - and return to prison.

The drug court approach gives its young participants some extra assistance to help them escape the dead end cycle followed by so many others. The help is critical, but it's still clear that the users themselves have to make it happen. Some do, but many don't.

Still, chances of breaking out of the downward drug-use cycle is more likely to happen when other people are willing to help and demonstrate by their actions that they believe in the young drug court participants trying to turn their lives around.

As the Butler County drug court program matures, other relevant offices or organizations within the county should step forward and support the effort. A higher level of buy-in is more likely to produce success stories - and that will make winners out of everyone participating.