“UNITE” is an acronym meaning Unlawful Narcotics Investigations, Treatment and Education. It reflects the three-pronged, comprehensive approach deemed necessary to combating substance abuse in Kentucky.
Operation UNITE was launched in April 2003 by U.S. Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers in response to a special report, “Prescription for Pain,” published by the Lexington Herald-Leader newspaper during January and February 2003. This series of articles exposed the addiction and corruption associated with drug abuse in southern and eastern Kentucky, which largely included Rogers’ Fifth Congressional District. Click to download Part 1 
and Part 2 .
Mission Statement
Operation UNITE works to rid communities of illegal drug use through undercover narcotics investigations, coordinating treatment for substance abusers, providing support to families and friends of substance abusers, and educating the public about the dangers of using drugs. UNITE’s goal is to educate and activate individuals by developing and empowering community coalitions to no longer accept or tolerate the drug culture.
Operation UNITE serves the 29 counties of Kentucky’s Fifth District: Bath, Bell, Breathitt, Clay, Floyd, Harlan, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, McCreary, Menifee, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Rowan, Wayne, Whitley and Wolfe.
Unlawful Narcotics Investigations, Treatment and Education, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-stock, non-profit corporation organized and operated exclusively for educational, civic, patriotic and enhancement of society purposes under the Internal Revenue Code.
UNITE is governed by board of directors that generally meets at 10 a.m. on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation, 362 Old Whitley Road, London.
Primary funding for Operation UNITE’s counter-drug initiative has come through federal grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (DOJ-BJA) and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has been earmarked for the counter-drug initiative. Funding has also been received from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) through contracts with Eastern Kentucky University’s Justice and Safety Center, College of Justice and Safety, and The Center For Rural Development. Additional funding is provided through individual and corporate donations to the UNITE Foundation.
Participation in Operation UNITE will:
- Raise your awareness about drugs and the drug problem.
- Maximize your talents and abilities to affect change.
- Empower you to take a stand; there is power in numbers.
- Assist you or your family members to receive treatment, counseling and after-care services if you are experiencing problems related to substance abuse.
- Provide resources and support for you to begin or expand anti-drug programs for youth, either through schools or community groups.
- Make your neighborhood safer by getting drug dealers off the streets.
- Keep you informed about legislative actions related to drugs and drug enforcement.
This project is supported by Grant No. 2008-DD-BX-0352 and 2009-D1-BX-0239 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime. Points of view or options in this document are those of the author and do not represent the official position or policies of the United State Department of Justice.
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