When he ran for Lawrence County Common Pleas judge in 2016, Andrew Ballard campaigned hard on the pledge to establish a certified drug court for the county.

And, in 2018, he delivered, with the Ohio Supreme Court providing that certification.

Since its inception, the court has earned praise across the spectrum, working with recovery groups and community leaders to provide a treatment-based approach, rather than simply sentencing people to jail.

Its work has helped to rebuild families and a community damaged by the opioid epidemic.

And, as of this week, there is another court taking the same, much-needed approach.

On Monday, Ironton Municipal Judge Kevin Waldo earned certification and accreditation for the city’s drug court. It has been running since last year, when it received its initial certification, but Monday’s news means the court will now be able to apply for grants and other opportunities.

Waldo says the idea is to coordinate between all local agencies to rehabilitate and counsel a person who has a drug issue and help them get their lives back on track.

This is a much welcome development and we applaud Waldo and his staff for making this a reality. It will take work at all levels of government to rein in this epidemic and this gets us all closer to that goal.