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Various aspects of Kosciusko County's "War On Drugs" will be highlighted in segments of PBS' investigative series, "Frontline," Tuesday night.
The episode, "Busted: America's War on Marijuana," will include footage highlighting two drug awareness programs, high school drug testing and eradication efforts in area farm fields.
Video crews were in Warsaw last fall to interview members of the local DARE program and "Smart Moves," a drug awareness program organized by the Boys and Girls Club of Kosciusko County.
The program will air at 9 p.m. on WNIT Television, channel 34.
A spokesman for PBS said she believed the two local programs were chosen because of their popularity and community involvement.
"Frontline" also looked at the high school's drug testing of athletes at Warsaw Community High School.
Part of the interview with the Boys and Girls Club included a group setting with youngsters.
Nobody locally is quite sure what portions of the interviews will be used, but they are optimistic.
"I think our community has a lot of good programs, but we also have a lot of good people that go farther than expected to make it work," said Cindi Knepper, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club.
PBS crews talked with two of Warsaw's three DARE officers, Brett and LeeAnn Richardson.
Brett Richardson said he's excited about the publicity.
But the show also looks at one of the unintended negative factors in which students alert police to their parents' use of illegal drugs.
Brett Richardson said video crews taped him in a classroom at Harrison Elementary School, but he wasn't interviewed about how DARE can sometimes pit family members against each other.
Richardson said he's cautious about how DARE and the war on drugs will be portrayed by the program.
"I don't want it to come across negative because I think we're doing the right thing here in Warsaw."
In his nine years in DARE, Richardson said, he's heard from only a few students who voiced concern about drug use among family members. In those instances, he said he asked the students what they wanted him to do. Only once did a youngster request action be taken against the adult.
"All of the other students who have come to me just wanted someone to listen to them and understand what's going on at home," he said.
In that one instance, the information was turned over to the drug task force, but he was uncertain of what became of the tip.
PBS likely chose to include Kosciusko County's eradication efforts because of the area's history dating back to when hemp was grown decades ago for the manufacture of rope.
Each summer, various agencies work together to eliminate and ward off pot pickers who sneak into farm fields late at night.
The show also looks at U.S. policies toward marijuana and changing attitudes about the drug, a spokesperson for PBS said.
