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We've heard so many times about the "war on drugs," huge federal efforts to thwart dealers and halt illegal trafficking of drugs.

We rarely hear about the casualties of that war.

On Sunday and Monday, Times writer Ryan Tracy told the story of one of the countless victims who surrender themselves for a short-lived high.

KC Meara, a young man with everything going for him, could not beat his addiction. His parents, Kevin and MaryAnn Meara of Hamilton, did all they could to get the 24-year-old the help he needed. But the lure of heroin defeated them, and KC Meara died of an overdose a year ago.

Instead of retreating into grief, the Mearas have channeled their pain into efforts to help others get substantive and timely treatment for their addictions.

As their son struggled, the Mearas were confounded by a confusing and arbitrary system they found difficult to negotiate. Since KC's death, the Mearas' heartache and experience became the basis of City of Angels, a 20-strong group of recovering drug abusers and concerned citizens. They act like a team of substance-abuse consultants, on call when families such as the Mearas or youths such as KC don't know where to turn.

City of Angels is a beacon in the unmapped morass of burdened agencies and programs offering drug treatment and rehab. Help may be available, but finding it, and finding it quickly, is another matter.

There's a screaming need: In 2003, the most recent year such statistics were available, the state Division of Addiction Services estimated 29,510 of Mercer County's roughly 360,000 residents were in need of treatment for drug or alcohol addiction. Yet very few are able to get the treatment they need.

Think of it this way: If almost 10 percent of the county's population were hit with swine flu, it would be a full-scale emergency and every resource would be mobilized to take care of those stricken.

Just like swine flu or cancer, addiction is a treatable illness and not a moral failing.

According to Tracy's story, the Trenton region is home to numerous treatment options, from outpatient clinics to long-term residential recovery programs. The parents, recovering addicts, volunteers and professionals he interviewed held these available resources in high regard.

It's a matter of connecting the dots, creating a clearinghouse to access the most appropriate and immediate treatment. Both the county and the state should look into a coordinated and comprehensive approach before more addicts who are desperate for help and another chance lose their battle.

"Some of these kids die," Scott Gliem, who works with City of Angels, told Tracy. "It makes you sick to your stomach to think that it could be your son."

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